Gifts in wills and in-memory giving consultancy group Legacy Futures have announced that it has made the first financial investment from its new Innovation Fund into technology platform SenseCheck.
Launched in early 2023, SenseCheck is a secure verification and communication tool designed to bring legacy processing into one platform, making it “faster and more cost effective” for both solicitors and the charities benefiting from gifts in wills, while treating charity legatees respectfully.
Studies show death rates in the UK are expected to increase by 20% within the next 10 years, and more deaths will lead to more gifts in wills and estate administration, putting the probate system, executors and legal professionals under increased pressure. Legacy Futures is looking at technology to help make lives easier and the path smoother for the future of legacy giving. CEO of Legacy Futures, Ashley Rowthorn, said:
“We believe SenseCheck will change the way the sector communicates for the better. The platform has huge potential to significantly improve the legacy administration process, saving charities hours of time and thousands of pounds in admin and legal fees, not to mention receiving the donor’s gift quicker. Solicitors benefit through saving time and headaches, meaning they’re able to do their jobs easier and handle higher case volumes.”
In launching its new product, SenseCheck’s aim was to create a “more efficient way” for experienced legacy experts to process cases. It was developed through consultation with Legacy Futures’ legacy management experts and technology business Arkitec Software – an investor and co-founder of SenseCheck.
Traditionally, solicitors would have to contact each charity separately with information and enquiries and await their individual responses before they could proceed. Bank details would have to be collated manually, causing a delay and generating further administrative costs. From a charity’s perspective, the legacy officer would have to constantly review the status of every case they’re working on. And in cases where multiple charities were set to receive a gift, a lead charity would have to be appointed to act as conduit between the charities and the solicitor.
SenseCheck speeds up the process, allowing communications and updates to be delivered in real time in one place, and available for all recipient charities to see instantly. SenseCheck Director Nigel Jesson said:
“Having an organisation such as Legacy Futures on board with SenseCheck means that more legal practices and charities will be benefiting from the platform’s functionality sooner. Private client lawyers spend many billable hours cross referencing charitable legacies against charity websites and the Charity Commission database, before having to produce manual reports. SenseCheck can do all of this in minutes, transforming the face of the legacy management process for both sides.”
