As we’ve said before: no matter how strong of a writer you are, you’re not immune to typos. As an estate planning attorney, these typos can hurt your practice’s reputation, lose you clients, and even result in reprimands from the court.
Document drafting software populates language and custom terms throughout a document to help eliminate those costly errors and streamline your practice’s drafting process. Additionally, best-in-class drafting software provides access to a comprehensive list of documents, including wills, trusts, and client letters that will be consistent across your practice. These features enable your support staff to efficiently craft complex documents that they might not have previously been able to manage.
But once you’ve decided to take the leap and purchase document drafting software, what do you do next?
1. Get trained on the software
Purchasing the software is the easy part, but to get any value out of it, you need to use it. Educate yourself on what’s included with the software and how the features will benefit your clients.
For example, the Wealth Docx® orientation series provides a basic introduction to the Wealth Docx® software and covers everything from accessing answer file management and setting preferences to an overview of the Trust and Will folder. It also introduces users to the theory of scenarios and gets you started drafting and assembling your own Estate Plan.
2. Find a community
Even after you’re trained, there will be times when you don’t know the answer to a legal, document drafting, or software question. Participating in a listserv puts the expertise of fellow attorneys and drafting software users at your fingertips. Plus, once you’re a seasoned expert you can return the favor by sharing your expertise with new and transitioning attorneys who may have similar questions.
3. Stay on top of rules and regulations
While estate planning software will help you stay up to date with many the latest regulations and nuances in the law, meeting with fellow estate planning professionals presents an opportunity to learn new techniques and strategies that will benefit your clients.
Webinars, conferences, and symposiums are great ways to network and learn about the latest developments in estate planning. The upcoming Hollywood Symposium, for example, offers breakout sessions, interactive workshops, and practical tools that you can use to help your clients as soon as you return to your practice.
4. Educate Your Clients
Once you’re up and running with your new software, you will have added another string to your estate planning bow that can help you educate and win new clients. Did you know that 43% of Americans don’t have an estate plan? That’s a significant demographic you can market your services to. Start by explaining why estate planning is important and what goals you can help facilitate. A comprehensive estate plan allows your clients to:
- Control property while they are alive
- Provide for themselves and loved ones if they become incapacitated
- Give what they have to whomever they want, the way they want, and when they want
- Minimize the impact of fees and taxes
From there, you can use your document drafting software to help set up your new clients with a will or trust.
If you haven’t yet purchased estate planning document drafting software, it’s not too late. Estate planning software enables both you and your support staff to efficiently and accurately craft complex documents. WealthCounsel’s Wealth Docx® software allows you to streamline your processes by creating accurate, up-to-date, professional documents. The software is regularly updated to reflect legal and legislative changes, so you won’t have to worry if your documentation is up-to-date and compliant.
Download our sample document list to see the types of interactive documents available to Wealth Docx users, or contact us to request more information or to see a demo of our software. We’d be happy to show you all that Wealth Docx® can do for your practice.
