Tech Stack Friday: Digital Estate Planning Solutions - What Works, What Doesn't
For my first #TechStackFriday, I’m diving into digital estate planning solutions—a space that’s exploding with innovation and capital.
Full disclosure: I’m a Wealth.com subscriber, but I’ve tested or demoed multiple platforms in this category.
Five Use Cases Where These Platforms Excel:
Democratizing access - Providing free planning documents to those who can’t afford traditional legal services (FreeWill in my opinion are the best in this arena)
Closing the coverage gap - Ensuring every client has minimum essentials: powers of attorney, financial POA, and advance health directives
Visual estate mapping - Creating clear representations of executors, beneficiaries, and estate structure—whether built on-platform or imported
Secure document hub - Centralized, permissioned storage that advisors and designated parties can access
Starting conversations - Most importantly, these tools get clients talking about #EstatePlanning when they might otherwise avoid it
Five Situations That Still Require Legal Counsel:
Complex estates - When asset structures go beyond straightforward (I’m looking at you, irrevocable trusts)
Taxable estates - Tax implications require estate tax specialists
Irrevocable trusts - These need to be bulletproof; DIY won’t cut it
Special needs planning - As James Watkins, III JD, CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® noted, testamentary special needs trusts and planning require specialized knowledge
DIY-averse clients - Some people simply aren’t comfortable with self-service solutions
The Market Speaks Volumes:
The money flowing into this #WealthTech sector tells you everything about where it’s headed:
Do You Need an Estate Plan?:
An estate plan isn’t optional anymore—it’s necessary for everyone.
Special Thanks:
Over the past two years, I’ve been fortunate to connect with brilliant minds across the estate planning wealth tech ecosystem. From SaaS product deep-dives to discussions that almost had me signing my first NDA—thank you all.
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