As a will writer, the service you provide your clients is personal. Being able to communicate well, listen to and empathise with clients’ needs, and offer them the best, most suitable estate planning solutions, are all essential to delivering a premium will witing service.
With this in mind, introducing technology to a process that relies so heavily on human interaction may seem counterintuitive. However, digital developments in the estate planning sector have progressed to not only smooth practices for will writers but also enhance the client journey as well.
Best of both
Integrating technology into your estate planning approach is an excellent way to ensure your business is as streamlined and efficient as possible. But it’s also an opportunity to stand out as a cutting-edge provision that values and promotes a premium client experience. In fact, many clients now expect to benefit from the ease, speed, and simplicity of using technology when planning their estate and writing their will.
So, which areas of your practice are primed for digitalisation and how can you implement it?
Your website
The most cost-efficient and convenient way to promote your will writing services is online. It’s the place where nearly all potential clients begin their search for an estate planner. The more user-friendly and informative your website, the more effective it will be at securing new business and retaining existing clients.
For this reason, it’s worth investing in your website. Consider having it evaluated for UX (user experience), SEO (search engine optimisation), and updating it regularly with high-quality content. This will ensure any existing clients can be kept up to date with relevant news and information about your practice and estate planning in general. It also increases the chances of your website appearing in search engine results and makes it more appealing to new clients; if users can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, they’re far more likely to choose your services over your competitors’.
Using a specialist digital agency like our partner Formation Media that specialises in providing digital marketing solutions to the will writing and estate planning sector will ensure your website stands out as an authority within the industry.
Estate planning software
Gone are the days of wading through piles of complex paperwork when planning a clients’ estate. The digitisation of estate planning processes now makes will writing relatively straightforward and low risk, thanks to the use of intuitive software. With the introduction of estate planning platforms like Legacy Software, users can be assured documents are produced in line with the most up to date legislation and with access to the latest Trust products most suited to their clients.
Exceptional client service
The cutting-edge provision afforded by estate planning technology extends far beyond the products advisers can offer their clients, however.
CTT Group’s Legacy Will Writing Software incorporates Business Management features that allow users to not only generate and store documents but also oversee the whole client order process from start to finish. This autonomy makes for an efficient operation enabling advisers to consistently deliver a smooth, coherent, and professional client experience.
Furthermore, Legacy’s built-in Case Tracking feature allows advisers to follow the progress of their client orders within CTT’s internal departments. They can send and receive notifications, reminders, and updates with CTT, and monitor each case’s progress, ensuring all orders are handled in a timely manner to deliver an unrivalled client service.
Remote processing
Estate planning software such as Legacy offers further convenience to clients and advisers by reducing the need for time-consuming, face-to-face meetings.
It can be used to transfer sensitive documents, authorise ID and e-signatures, and process client payments. Legacy also has a secure messaging feature that lets advisers communicate with clients to keep them informed about the progress of their order, further smoothing the client journey.
In addition to this, the new Legacy Portal app offers advisers the opportunity to onboard clients remotely. Clients using the app can complete their own fact find information at their convenience and from the comfort of their own home. They then receive a personalised Recommendation Report via the app within 48 hours that illustrates the legal products best suited to their needs through a series of personalised educational animations.
This innovative approach to client onboarding not only saves both the client and adviser time, it also empowers the client with the means and knowledge to make an informed decision about their own estate planning.
Professional support
Legacy is the only estate planning software that’s backed by professional support, 24/7. Users can find answers to their queries via Legacy’s chatbot, or by contacting a member of CTT’s in-house team. CTT comprises over 200 specially trained, experienced and qualified professionals able to advise on matters ranging from trusts and will writing to accounting, IFA support and SRA regulated legal services through our partnership with CTT Law Ltd.
The team is on hand to assist with complex estate planning as well as document processing support. This allows advisers to take on larger workloads and more challenging cases with ease and confidence, broadening their offerings to incorporate additional expertise and services with the help of CTT’s professional in-house network and seamless integration with its strategic partners.
AI for Training and development
AI is no longer science fiction; it’s all around us. And it’s making an impact on the estate planning sector. CTT’s AI Client Simulator is an adviser training tool that allows users to practice interacting with their clients ahead of meetings.
The technology can simulate a variety of client personas and scenarios, giving advisers the unique opportunity to “meet” them and offer bespoke estate planning advice. The tool then offers feedback, guiding advisers on where they can upsell products or services within the conversation.
The AI Client Simulator is a valuable training tool that helps advisers develop both their professional soft skills and estate planning knowledge to better serve their clients.
In conclusion
The future of the estate planning industry, like so many others, is digital. The advantages of leveraging technology for improved data and process management are evident; will writing software is an invaluable tool for advisers looking to streamline their practices, develop the depth and breadth of their professional offering and increase profitability.
The added benefit of this is improved channels of communication and document processing that make for a seamless, stress-free estate planning experience for both advisers and their clients.
To find out more about how to integrate technology into your estate planning practice, speak to a member of the CTT Legal team today.
This article was submitted to be published by CTT Group as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.
