From lawyer, to Microsoft and Meta, and now to Arken.legal, Anthony Philips legal journey takes him through a series of household technology names and halfway round the world before recently landing as CEO at the will writing and technology platform.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Philips shares his reflections on his own journye, and that of the wills and probate sector which is going through a process of digitalisation, modernisation and cultural change.
Wills and probate is a uniquely personal area of law; one in which the interface between people and technology must be navigated sensitively and incrementally says Philips.
He is an advocate for much of the proposed modernisation outlined in the Law Commission’s wholesale review of wills law; although he is clear technology should be an enabler, not an ideological driver. Practitioners and clients should be able to produce either a traditional paper will or an electronic version seamlessly, depending on what is right for them. Electronic wills are not inherently “better,” but suggests they can provide evidential advantages such as timestamps and enhanced audit trails. But concerns around remote witnessing, coercion, and safeguarding must be addressed with practical, industry‑led solutions rather than by leaving government to define standards alone.
There are lessons from other areas of law and technology to be learned too. Many sectors face interoperability challenges, the integration of different and competing technologies and platforms into each other to create a more seamless user experience, and the need for digital infrastructure improvements across government.
And in closing, Philips acknowledges there is a huge amount of complexity, interconnectivity, relationships and sector dynamics that take time to understand which all have a role to play in the speed of change.
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