Essential Tools for Virtual Estate Planning Attorneys

As the recognition of digital wills and trusts rise, the expectations of property planning purchasers are shifting in the direction of digital providers. In reality, 70% of purchasers say they like working nearly with attorneys, which suggests modernizing your apply is extra vital than ever. With one of the best property planning software program for attorneys, you’ll higher be capable to streamline operations, prioritize your purchasers, and set your agency up for long-term success.  

On this information, we cowl the best way to combine expertise into your apply, together with the best way to construct your tech stack and which software program options are finest for digital property planning attorneys. 

Why digital property planning is the brand new regular

As laws responds to the recognition of on-line wills, property planning attorneys have to adapt to authorized tech traits like AI and undertake software program to future-proof their apply. The funding is nicely price it, boasting advantages like:

An expanded shopper base. Digital providers is usually a deciding issue for potential purchasers. Property planning instruments simplify processes, lowering your purchasers’ stress, constructing belief and optimistic experiences that strengthen your status.
Elevated effectivity. Property planning comes with complexities, feelings, and layers of collaboration that may be troublesome to navigate. Digital property planning instruments assist streamline processes to retain purchasers and maximize your billable hours and shut flat price circumstances faster.
Heightened accessibility and suppleness. Your purchasers and their relations could also be in several areas and have various duties, schedules, and mobility. Digital property planning offers equitable entry to paperwork and authorized experience with comfort and luxury.  
Shopper communication: Wills and property attorneys want to fulfill purchasers on their phrases. Some want a fast textual content, others old style cellphone name. The important thing? Keep versatile and maintain communication simple.
Regulatory help. Obtain the additional advantage of software program that understands property planning rules and authorized compliance so that you might be assured your work is error-free.

The 8 finest property planning instruments for attorneys

Not each property planning device might be proper in your apply. That can assist you select those that match finest, we’ve outlined the highest wills and estates regulation software program and instruments accessible right now.

As you discover the checklist, think about the place your agency wants probably the most help, and the place you possibly can simplify workflows to higher serve purchasers. Later, we’ll present you the best way to construct the best tech stack in your property planning apply.

1. Observe administration software program

With heightened feelings and potential friction factors between relations, you’ll need your focus to be on guiding your property planning purchasers by way of the whole course of, and placing them comfy. Observe administration software program offers you the flexibleness to construct assured shopper relationships and improve your corporations inner efficiencies with automation and AI.

Clio Handle 

Your go-to hub in your property planning apply. Clio Handle helps routine process automation, grows shopper relationships, and manages circumstances multi function place. And, with Clio Duo, you possibly can entry AI-powered help from wherever inside Clio Handle to additional increase your efficiencies..

Options: 

Shopper communications: Maintain purchasers knowledgeable and engaged, whether or not they’re aged, distant, or coordinating on behalf of an property, with safe and versatile messaging choices.
Calendar syncing: Keep away from missed deadlines for probate filings or belief administration by syncing key dates throughout your staff’s calendars and shopper issues.
Process monitoring and automation: Keep on prime of crucial steps like doc signing, courtroom filings, and follow-ups with automated process lists and reminders for every property plan or probate matter.
Case administration: Centralize each matter—wills, POAs, trusts—in a single place so you possibly can simply entry notes, communications, and paperwork throughout lengthy timelines and a number of stakeholders.
Doc administration: Retailer and set up property planning paperwork, probate courtroom filings, and shopper correspondence securely, with quick access every time wanted.
Clio Funds allows anybody to pay on behalf of the property: Let executors or relations securely pay invoices on-line, with no need to go to your workplace or arrange accounts.
Clio Handle gives an end-to-end billing answer: Simplify billing for flat charges, retainers, or hourly providers, and guarantee compliance with belief accounting guidelines generally required in property administration.

Advantages of apply administration software program:

Improved shopper expertise. Cut back confusion and frustration through the property planning course of with clear-cut and environment friendly shopper communication and processes, so that you’re at all times assembly expectations.
Streamlined day-to-day. Automate and scale back paperwork and administrative duties for a extra simplified and environment friendly property planning apply. 
Simplified billing workflows. Simply handle flat charges, hourly charges, or retainers with built-in instruments that maintain your billing organized, correct, and straightforward to trace.
Versatile, safe fee choices. Make it simpler for executors, relations, or purchasers to pay invoices on-line, with choices for bank cards, eChecks, and safe hyperlinks that get rid of the necessity for in-person visits.

2. Authorized-specific AI instruments

Integrating AI into your authorized workflow isn’t only a pattern, it’s turning into important. Because the authorized business evolves, corporations adopting authorized particular AI instruments are gaining a aggressive edge by enhancing effectivity, lowering burnout, and delivering higher shopper experiences. Embracing AI now positions your agency to fulfill the growing calls for of contemporary authorized apply and keep forward in a quickly altering panorama.

Clio Duo

By including Clio Duo to your Clio Handle workflow, you may get AI-assistance with out having to context change. Clio Duo is your authorized AI assistant that’s at all times proper the place you want it, that can assist you keep organized, increase productiveness, and supercharge your workday.

Options:

Case and doc summarization: Immediately evaluate key factors from lengthy case information or property planning paperwork.
Element extraction: Rapidly pull out crucial data like names, dates, and citations with out guide scanning.
Shopper communication drafting: Write polished e-mail and textual content responses in seconds, able to ship to purchasers or relations.
Good process solutions: Get AI-powered suggestions on subsequent steps, deadlines, and calendar scheduling to remain on prime of each matter.

Clio Duo immediate concepts for wills and property attorneys:

Summarize the important thing beneficiaries and their inheritances in [Name’s] will. Establish any conditional bequests, authorized inconsistencies, or potential disputes amongst heirs.
Break down the shopper’s property belongings into classes and calculate the entire worth after liabilities. Spotlight any gadgets with particular probate issues or main depreciation dangers.
Confirm that property liabilities had been deducted appropriately and distribution follows the need. Establish any discrepancies or excellent points which may delay property closure.

Advantages of legal-specific AI:

Quicker authorized evaluations. Summarize prolonged case information, flag key particulars, and floor cited data immediately, so you possibly can spend much less time studying and extra time strategizing.
Enhanced knowledge safety. Not like basic AI instruments, Clio Duo works inside Clio Handle retaining your agency’s and your purchasers’ knowledge protected with built-in safety and compliance safeguards.
Constructed-in compliance. Authorized AI instruments are designed with business rules in thoughts serving to you keep compliant with confidentiality obligations {and professional} requirements with out additional configuration.

Able to get began? E book a demo to discover all of the automation energy and time-saving potential of Clio Handle + Clio Duo. 

3. Doc automation software program

Wills and property attorneys take care of advanced, detail-heavy paperwork. Doc automation helps you draft sooner, scale back errors, and preserve consistency throughout each will, POA, and belief—so you possibly can focus extra on serving your purchasers and rising your apply.

Clio Draft

Streamline your property planning apply by turning your Phrase paperwork into dynamic templates. Clio Draft automates wills, trusts, and POAs—saving time, lowering errors, and tailoring every doc to your shopper’s wants with sensible conditional logic.

Customizable shopper questionnaires: Accumulate key particulars—like beneficiaries, birthdates, and Social Safety numbers—upfront, so you possibly can skip the back-and-forth and begin drafting instantly.
Immediate doc technology: Mechanically populate paperwork with questionnaire responses, lowering guide work and minimizing errors.
Draft in Microsoft Phrase: Put together advanced property planning paperwork instantly in Phrase with no technical abilities required.
Reusable templates: Flip your Phrase information into dynamic templates that autofill with case-specific data.
Entry to official courtroom types: Rapidly discover the appropriate paperwork with entry to hundreds of official state courtroom types.
E-signature-ready packages: Create, evaluate, and ship full doc units for safe e-signature in only a few clicks.

Gavel

A straightforward-to-use doc automation system that integrates with Clio Handle for knowledge change that enhances your workflow, with highly effective doc automation for Phrase, PDF, or different .docx paperwork. 

Options: 

Person questionnaires
Doc suites and template builder
Collaboration and exterior sharing 

WealthCounsel

Drafting software program with advertising and continued training options. It integrates with Clio Handle so your contacts and issues circulate instantly into WealthCounsel’s drafting expertise.

Options:   

Options for workflows and drafting
Teaching applications
Content material advertising

Advantages of doc automation software program:

Enhance effectivity. Lower errors in your authorized drafting and retailer your paperwork in a single place. Autogenerate wills, trusts, and powers of legal professional which can be personalized to your purchasers. 
Higher shopper expertise: Clio Draft’s shopper questionnaires make the method simpler and extra handy for purchasers—no extra lengthy cellphone calls spelling out names. They’ll full types on their very own time, from any machine, with autosave if they should pause.
Higher shopper retention. By no means go away your purchasers ready. Doc automation provides comfort that builds belief and eliminates misalignment in expectations. 

Study extra about how doc automation can help your agency with Clio’s Important Information to Authorized Doc Automation. 

4. Shopper consumption and Buyer Relationship Administration (CRM)

For wills and property attorneys, shopper belief begins at consumption. CRM instruments make it easier to gather key particulars upfront, keep organized by way of lengthy resolution cycles, and ship a smoother, extra personalised expertise that builds lasting shopper relationships.

Clio Develop

Clio Develop helps you win extra purchasers and save hours by automating consumption, streamlining communication, and delivering a seamless, skilled shopper expertise from day one.

Options: 

Automated shopper consumption: Accumulate key data like beneficiaries and asset particulars upfront with safe, easy-to-complete on-line types.
Lead and follow-up monitoring: Keep on prime of potential purchasers and consultations with built-in CRM instruments designed for lengthy resolution cycles.
Doc technology and e-signature: Rapidly draft and ship engagement letters, wills, and POAs for safe e-signature—no printing wanted.
Shopper supply monitoring: Establish the place your purchasers are coming from to double down on the simplest advertising and referral channels.

Lawmatics

Accessible as an integration with Clio Handle to attach shopper consumption with case administration and develop your apply. 

Options: 

Shopper onboarding 
Automated workflows and advertising
Authorized billing and time monitoring

Advantages of shopper consumption and CRM instruments:

Simplifies shopper onboarding. Over time, your circumstances can evolve, and shopper involvement can shift. These instruments offer you clear historic perception into case progress with complete dashboards.
Heightens shopper communication and engagement. Create a client-centred regulation agency with personalised automation and options that add belief and comfort. 

5. Shopper communication instruments

Foster stronger shopper relationships with instruments that help clear, well timed, and clear shopper communication. Maintain purchasers, and their relations, knowledgeable at each stage of the property planning course of to construct belief, scale back confusion, and strengthen your apply’s status.

Clio for Shoppers

A safe portal designed in your purchasers to speak and collaborate with you on their property planning. 

Options: 

Unified communications, paperwork, and calendar: Maintain the whole lot in a single place so purchasers can simply observe appointments, messages, and key property planning paperwork.
Doc evaluate notifications: Immediate purchasers to evaluate wills, POAs, and belief paperwork immediately—there isn’t any want for follow-up calls or emails.
Shoppers could make funds from the Clio App: Make it simple for executors or relations to securely pay invoices from wherever, with no need a desktop.
Shoppers can scan paperwork with their cellphone: Let purchasers add IDs, deeds, or different paperwork immediately utilizing their smartphone—no printer or scanner required.
Safe file sharing and messaging: Share delicate property planning paperwork and talk privately with end-to-end encryption for peace of thoughts.

Zoom

Conduct digital conferences with enhanced safety that offers your purchasers the consolation to relay delicate data. Zoom, additionally integrates instantly together with your calendar in Clio Handle.  

Options: 

Whiteboard and assembly templates
Caption translations
Recording and reside transcription
Finish-to-end encryption

Microsoft Groups

Meet on-line together with your purchasers to evaluate matter updates and upcoming deadlines. Microsoft Groups additionally integrates seamlessly with Clio Handle.

Options: 

Chat and messaging
Video and voice calling 
Polling and file sharing

Advantages of shopper communication instruments:

Higher effectivity. Elevate your shopper relationships with enhanced collaboration and decrease the shopper studying curve with safe messaging and file change. 
Greater shopper satisfaction. Add comfort and enhance visibility, belief, and help with all concerned relations all through the property planning course of.

6. E-Signature and distant notarization

Pace up property planning by letting purchasers signal and notarize paperwork securely from wherever. These instruments scale back delays, get rid of journey, and make it simpler to finalize wills, POAs, and trusts with confidence and comfort.

DocuSign

Simply create, signal, and handle authorized paperwork in a single place—streamlined and safe. DocuSign integrates seamlessly with Clio Handle, permitting you to automate doc creation and workflows with customized actions.

Options: 

Huge file kind help 
Signer authentication and knowledge validation
Doc templates
Bulk ship performance

Dropbox Signal

Dropbox Signal accelerates your signature course of with a easy, safe eSignature answer—so you possibly can finalize paperwork sooner and maintain your workflow shifting.

Options: 

Utility programming interface (API) options
PDF, contract, and doc e-signing

OnlineNotary

Notarize helps you to full safe, distant notarizations in minutes, no in-person conferences required. Simply combine it with Clio Handle to maintain your paperwork organized and your workflow environment friendly.

Options: 

Authorized validity and state-by-state compliance
Doc replication
Id verification
Fee assortment

Advantages of e-signature and distant notarization instruments:

Improves the property planning course of. Pace up your signing and execution course of with added comfort, safety, and compliance.
Higher doc integrity. Get entry to a transparent paper path that makes audits simpler and maintains the integrity of your paperwork throughout the whole signing course of. 

7. Safe shopper portals

Give your purchasers peace of thoughts with a centralized, safe portal for sharing updates, paperwork, and messages. Safe shopper portals make it simple to maintain everybody knowledgeable, organized, and assured all through the property planning course of.

Clio for Shoppers

Give your purchasers transparency into their property planning progress together with upcoming conferences, process necessities, and pending funds. 

Options: 

Safe draft and doc sharing: Give purchasers 24/7 entry to their property planning paperwork and securely share updates as wanted.
Actual-time feedback and evaluate notifications: Maintain the method shifting with on the spot alerts and shopper suggestions on shared paperwork.
Quicker funds and simpler invoicing: Let purchasers pay securely from any machine, rushing up collections with out added admin.

Advantages of safe shopper portals:

Present client-centric service. Add readability and visibility into case progress and centralize your purchasers’ priorities in a single place.  
Added safety. Ship non-public and safe communication between you and your shopper with password-protected portals and SSL encryption.  

8. On-line fee processing

Settle for on-line shopper funds for authorized payments and belief requests. Modernize your property planning apply with safe price assortment and monetary administration that integrates together with your administration instruments.

Clio Funds

Clio Funds helps wills and property attorneys receives a commission sooner with safe in-person and on-line transactions, customizable invoice templates, and real-time monetary reporting. It’s particularly helpful for managing retainers, versatile billing (together with fee plans), and funds from executors—making it simpler to remain organized and compliant all through the lifetime of a matter.

Options: 

PCI-compliant processing: Meet fee safety requirements and defend delicate shopper and property data.
Belief accounting help: Simply observe belief transactions and fee histories to remain compliant with accounting guidelines.
Built-in monetary reporting: Sync fee knowledge with billing and belief data in Clio Handle to simplify reconciliation and reporting.
Centralized billing workflows: Maintain funds, billing, and shopper communication in a single place to avoid wasting time and scale back admin duties.
Customized fee hyperlinks: Let executors handle a number of invoices or service phases with a single, safe hyperlink.
Versatile fee choices: Provides versatile fee choices by permitting U.S.-based corporations to just accept bank cards and eChecks instantly into belief accounts, serving to maintain retainers funded and making certain belief accounting compliance.
Third-party fee help: Enable anybody to pay on behalf of the property through safe hyperlink, QR code, portal, or bill—no in-person go to required.
Automated fee plans: Give purchasers a versatile, hands-off method to pay over time.

Advantages of on-line fee processing software program:

Higher money circulate. Optimize flat-fee and trust-based issues by eradicating knowledge entry out of your process checklist. Get real-time notifications on funds and excellent balances, so you possibly can keep on prime of your receivables with out the follow-up.
Improved workflows. Get extra comfort, safety, and effectivity with real-time insights that make it easier to construct a greater apply. 

How to decide on the appropriate instruments in your regulation agency

Earlier than you choose your digital property planning instruments, it’s worthwhile to decelerate and analyze what suits together with your agency’s distinctive necessities, so that you make the appropriate funding. 

Assess your agency’s dimension, workflow, and price range. Establish your wants and price range constraints. Relying in your agency’s dimension, you might want buy-in from stakeholders.
Select cloud-based instruments for flexibility and safety. Cloud-based options are reasonably priced and supply flexibility and added safety that stops knowledge loss. 
Guarantee seamless integration together with your present programs. Consider your present expertise and, above all, prioritize merchandise that help your long-term success. You could have to search for an software programming interface (API) to facilitate communication between new and present instruments. Make it simple and begin with a authorized apply administration (LPM) device that integrates with over 280 different instruments.
Take into consideration scalability as your apply grows. Select instruments that may adapt and evolve to altering wants and development with out sacrificing efficiency. 
Consider person expertise & help. Search for instruments which can be dependable, intuitive to make use of, and performance as promised. Test property planning software program evaluations or converse to different attorneys in your discipline for suggestions. 
How vital is utilizing AI to your agency? In response to our newest Authorized Traits Report, 70% of purchasers are both impartial or would favor to work with corporations that use AI, which means that the overwhelming majority of purchasers both need their attorneys to make use of AI or are adaptable. 

Automation powered by AI reallocates extra time in the direction of higher shopper service and producing extra enterprise. Whether or not AI is an efficient match for you relies on coaching and use circumstances. AI could also be a worthwhile funding if you wish to add efficiencies to:

Documenting and recording data
Gathering data
Information and knowledge evaluation.

Take this fast 2-minute quiz to search out out the place your agency stands on the AI adoption curve—and get sensible ideas that can assist you take the following step with confidence.

Learn how to construct your digital property planning tech stack

A authorized tech stack is a set of instruments, software program, and programs that assist streamline and help your property planning apply. Right here’s the best way to construct one in your digital property planning. 

1. Prioritize your particular wants

Establish present ache factors and areas of friction in your workflows and shopper expertise. Use this data to slender down probably the most useful instruments and options.

2. Analysis and create your shortlist

Choose instruments that meet regulatory authorized compliance and necessities for knowledge privateness and safety, digital signatures, mental property, and extra. Make sure it could monitor adjustments in rules, perceive the significance of crucial timelines, and warn you of potential dangers. Begin with a scalable, cloud-based apply administration platform with good buyer help, so that you get most return in your funding.

3. Choose your instruments

Finalize your checklist and be strategic. Don’t begin with too many instruments and ensure they’ll combine seamlessly, share knowledge, and work as a staff. If wanted, get buy-in from stakeholders.

4. Combine your expertise

Create normal working procedures (SOPs) which can be clear and succinct. Combine software program like your doc automation and e-signature instruments and practice all employees. Lastly, for all client-facing expertise, conduct a pilot program with a single shopper earlier than increasing entry.

5. Iterate in your tech stack

Every digital property planning agency is completely different, and you might discover some instruments find yourself being redundant or pointless. Study from knowledge, staff and shopper suggestions, and efficiency stories to enhance and iterate.

Ultimate ideas on instruments for digital property planning attorneys

Over time, your property planning circumstances can shift and alter, involving advanced layers of emotion, methods, and abilities that make your billable hours essential. With the appropriate digital property planning instruments, you possibly can scale back your administrative work and deal with what’s vital: constructing one of the best property plans in your purchasers and delivering service that exceeds expectations, leaving them feeling glad and supported. 

We printed this weblog submit in Could 2025. Final up to date: Could 12, 2025.

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