34 Finance Monthly. Bank i ng & F i nanc i a l Se r v i ce s by the technology themselves. Many solicitors simply outsource their technology to an IT firm without understanding the strategic role that technology can play. Lack of this vital layer usually results in unwieldy ‘legacy’ technology that is costly and complicated. On the client-side, many of our older clients have generally been technophobes (although that is now changing gradually), and when they’re faced with having to use legacy technology that I spoke of just now, it’s not surprising that many clients prefer the more expensive solicitor interaction (to the solicitor’s glee). It’s my firm belief that technology doesn’t have to be complicated. Mobile devices and better connectivity have enhanced the customer experience massively, driven down costs, improved security protocols, andmade it somuch easier for family members to collaborate with each other. All these things are vital, especially when it comes down to something as sensitive as estate planning and inheritance matters where you want to keep confusion and miscommunication to an absolute minimum. Technology is absolutely vital. Something else I hinted at earlier was the issue of bottlenecks. Estate planning can be complex with many moving parts, so it is vital that bottlenecks are kept to a minimum and we can take care of our clients’ documentation as seamlessly as possible. But it’s not always easy. Let’s take a government department such as the Office of the Public Guardian or the Land Registry which are dealing with thousands of documents on a daily basis. It’s therefore not surprising that these departments can cause huge delays in our comprehensive estate planning process. In some ways, that goes back to the technology point I made earlier. You can’t have excellent customer service without the ability to communicate quickly and clearly. And when there’s a delay from a government department, it is absolutely vital that we communicate that promptly with our customers without them feeling that they’re being charged by their solicitor for writing a letter. Regulation is also something that has been spoken about a lot. One of my frustrations in the past was witnessing how many ‘middlemen’ and ‘fly-by-nights’ there are in this industry with no self-regulation. And this gives our industry a very bad name. I decided not only to build a team and the technology to eradicate this but also to ‘self-police’ by keeping ourselves to the highest standards possible. That’s why Squiggle are members of the Society of Trusts & Estate Practitioners, the Institute of Paralegals, and the Society of Will Writers. We’re also a member of the relatively new ‘BEST Foundation’, a governing body for Estate Planners, they have recently sent an open letter to the Office of the Public Guardian with the industries concerns around the Office of the Public Guardian – I fully support this. In this regard, Squiggle aims to be at the forefront of education in estate planning and we have published our own Code of Conduct and Quality Guarantee on our website. What are the main mistakes people make when it comes to wills and trusts? Having dealt with thousands of clients now, the one thing that comes to mind is just how much people underestimate the intricacies of estate planning. It’s all very well saying ‘we’ll implement simple technology’ and outstanding customer service, but everybody’s story is different. Every family has its own unique background and circumstances and it’s important we get to the bottom of each person’s circumstances as quickly as possible without charging an arm and a leg. So when somebody says to us: “our situation is really quite simple. Just leave everything to my spouse and then down to our children”, I’m tempted to respond with: “hold on, not so fast!” Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. A beneficiary might unexpectedly get divorced and/or remarried? Or they may go bankrupt. What happens then? We ALWAYS present different scenarios to each client, based on what they tell us as it’s important for them to know the potential consequences of each scenario. At the end of the day, that’s the difference between having a will written for you and getting proper advice from a qualified Squiggle Estate Planning consultant. What are your thoughts on DIY wills & online wills? Cheap DIY wills should not exist in my opinion. You’re talking about potentially leaving your estate to your loved ones and you want to rely on a cheap online will? Really? Why? I just don’t get it. Of course, online will services do have their rightful place. We even offer it ourselves at www.squiggle. me. But it’s important to maintain that crucial balance, ensuring that there’s somebody who can handhold you through the process costeffectively with other services such as a Lasting Power of Attorney and
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