From Solicitor to Grief & Life Admin Coach: Finding Rainbows in Amongst Tricky Paperwork

This month, we’re thrilled to share a guest post from Emma Gray, the founder of Rainbow Hunting, a former solicitor turned grief and life coach whose compassionate approach to life admin aligns beautifully with the philosophy behind the NOTA:BENE System. Emma brings both personal experience and professional insight to the emotional and practical challenges of end-of-life planning. In this piece, she shares her powerful story and why organising what she calls the “Sadmin” is an act of love; one that brings peace of mind not just to us, but to those we care about.

Her free Will Challenge runs 23-27th June - join her if you need a Will update!

We hope her words resonate with you as much as they do with us:

The truth is, most people don't wake up excited to sort their Wills or power of attorney documents! 

And yet, the peace of mind that we get from having it sorted is immense. So why don’t we all do it…? The passion behind changing careers from lawyer to coach is my belief that when we approach what I call the "Sadmin" with compassion and the right systems, it transforms a dreaded task into an act of love.

My Unusual Path to This Work

I spent many years as a Wills and Probate solicitor, where I saw the good and the bad of end-of-life paperwork. And, I had an overflowing folder of people who'd enquired about making Wills but never followed through. What I realised was that legal side was rarely the problem… it was the emotional blocks, the family dynamics and the fear of the pain of grief that stopped people making progress.

Heartbreakingly, everything changed in my world when my Royal Marine husband was diagnosed with inoperable cancer when our children were just three and five years old. Suddenly, I wasn't just helping other families navigate end-of-life planning… I was living it at home too. When Simon died, I discovered something unexpected... the planning he had done became my emotional handrail when the world around me felt as though it had been turned upside down.

Despite keeping my legal career going through six military moves in six years, children, the diagnosis and my late husband’s death, this tragic experience of becoming a widow led to the creation of my Rainbow Hunting philosophy… the fact that we can find moments of hope and happiness even in life's darkest storms, and that proper organisation creates space to enjoy those rainbows.

Who I Work With

I help people of all ages and backgrounds, but many of my clients are busy working parents touched by significant bereavement. They are overwhelmed by a growing mountain of life admin, and they find that their grief makes even simple decisions feel impossible. Others are simply people who know they need to get organised but they don't know where to start… whether that's sorting their first Will or updating documents that haven't been touched in years.

The common thread amongst my clients is a desire for both practical guidance and emotional support. They want someone who understands that organising end-of-life paperwork needs both straightforward filing systems and compassionate understanding that in sorting this vital paperwork out we are facing our own mortality.

The Power of Working Together

One of my most productive offerings is the Co-Working sessions (https://rainbowhunting.kartra.com/page/co-working). These are 90-minute virtual gatherings where people tackle their life admin on zoom, alongside others who "get it." There's something magical about not being alone with that pile of paperwork you've been avoiding and having the accountability of others.

During these sessions, I see transformations happen. People arrive feeling overwhelmed and leave having made real progress on tasks they had been putting off for months. Whether it's sending an email to a solicitor about their Will, sorting through insurance policies or organising digital passwords, everything feels more manageable when you're not doing it alone.

The start of a Personal Project 

Whilst my late husband did an amazing job of “dying well”, my ADHD brain ironically struggles with the paperwork but I know that I want to be as organised, if not more organised than he was when he died. So, I'm embarking on a particularly meaningful personal project… I’m going to be working through my own Sadmin alongside my parents. We're both using the NOTA:BENE System that I got from Deborah and I can’t wait for the peace of mind of knowing that it’s all in place (though I’m also a realist and I know it is a never-ending project that will need to be constantly updated)!

The beauty of the NOTA:BENE System is the fact that it’s all in one box… everything has a place and, most importantly, everything will be easy to find when it is needed. There will be no more wondering what “safe place” I’d stored the important documents! Doing this as a family, as well as creating a legacy of organisation, I am hoping that it will be the catalyst for some important conversations about what matters most to us.

The Free Will Challenge

Many people aren’t sure where to start… if this is you, and you want some support along the way… check out the details of my free annual Will Challenge. It runs for four days, starting on Monday 23rd June 2025. The aim is to take you from "head in the sand" to having a clear plan for creating or updating your Will.

The Challenge is not about me giving legal advice (I'm no longer a practising solicitor), but instead I give you information about Wills and I provide the emotional support and guidance that you need to be able to approach a solicitor feeling confident and prepared.

You can read more about the Will Challenge and what's involved here.

And, for those who want some information about how to tackle all the life admin, my Sadmin® Course covers everything from Wills and powers of attorney to digital assets and legacy letters. It's self-paced, compassionate, and designed to work around your life rather than take it over. The course goes beautifully with systems like NOTA:BENE because it gives you the background knowledge about what needs organising, whilst the physical system gives you somewhere to put it all.

Why Doing This Matters

Every time someone completes their Will, updates their power of attorney, or simply gets their important documents organised, they are not just ticking boxes, they are creating security for themselves and their loved ones. As one past participant of the Will Challenge told me: 

"I didn't realise how much this had been weighing on me. It's such a relief to finally have a plan."

That's what this work is really about... transforming the persistent background stress and worry of unfinished life admin into the peace of mind that comes from being prepared and organised.

Whether you join me for a Co-Working session, take part in the free Will Challenge, or simply start gathering your important documents in one place, please remember that every small step you take forwards is worth celebrating.

Emma Gray is a former award-winning solicitor turned grief and life coach. She is creator of the Rainbow Hunting approach to end-of-life planning. Her next free Will Challenge runs 23-26 June 2025. For more information about Emma's work, visit rainbowhunting.co.uk and if you have any questions please feel free to email her at: emma@rainbowhunting.co.uk