Why I, (a Private Client Solicitor), wish I’d had Arken’s Will writing software when practicing

When I was a junior solicitor in a private client team, drafting a Will was a daunting business. I wanted to draft the document correctly but without it taking so long that the cost of my time far outweighed what the client would pay. It’s easy to see why Arken’s Will drafting software could have made my working life a lot less stressful back then.

I became a Private Client Solicitor because I wanted to help clients look after their families and protect their assets for years to come. I certainly didn’t want to spend my time on administration and much preferred talking to and providing advice for my clients. Looking back, Arken’s Will drafting software would have saved me hours in formatting, updating precedents and re-keying in data.

I now work at Arken.legal, monitoring the software and helping to keep it up to date and fit for purpose from a legal perspective. I can’t help but think back to my junior solicitor days and wonder how my working practice would have been different with Arken’s software.

So, here are the key ways in which I think Arken’s Will Writing Software would have helped me (and why your team would appreciate it too!):

1. No worry about which precedent to start from – Arken’s intelligent questionnaire builds the Will from scratch in real time based on your answers.
2. Avoid silly errors – as you only need to input a name and gender once, you only need to get it right once! After that Arken makes sure that you don’t accidentally refer to a husband when you mean a wife, or spell a name incorrectly when you repeat it in the Will.
3. Have a handy guide to trusts – with Arken’s Trust Referencer available at the click of a button it is easy to access a reliable source of information about the different types of trusts and how they are taxed. It also includes a glossary for when someone uses a term you just don’t understand!
4. Reduce time spent drafting – Arken’s plain English, intuitive questionnaire means that it’s quick to create a Will and tailored commentary is produced at the same time. Meaning you’re less likely to overrun your fee quote and more likely to make a profit.
5. Formatting is perfect first time – you don’t have to spend hours getting frustrated with automatic numbering going awry, cross-referencing referring to deleted clauses and attestation clauses being split over two pages. Arken’s inbuilt intelligence sorts it all out for you.
6. Client focus – you can spend more time with clients, building relationships and helping them navigate their estate planning needs rather than struggling with IT issues.

Written by Harriet Betteridge, Senior Solicitor