Written by WillSuite on 13th March 2026
We caught up with Neal Astbury (Heritage Wills & Trusts) to discuss how he's leveraging software to automate the client instruction process. He didn't have to write any code; it was straightforward to set up, and it's bringing in new business from organic website traffic.
Building a customised, branded and dynamic client instruction form on your website is an expensive and time-consuming process. Many firms opt for building a simpler approach to data capture, such as a short series of questions that preface a contact form. Both of these options have their own set of drawbacks, but what if a better, easier and inexpensive solution existed?
That solution is MyWill, a fully integrated Will drafting automation tool that incorporates a client-facing Will questionnaire embedded on your website, with the ability to then generate drafted Will documents from the data inputted by your clients. The MyWill journey typically will look something like:
Neal began by sharing his insight on the platform:
“MyWill looks great on my website. It adds a bit of professionalism, and there are those clients that just don't want to start with an email or speaking to someone, and MyWill is a great solution for that. I have a client, and I know she likes technology. She'd rather use MyWill than speak to anybody initially.”
One huge benefit of MyWill, once set up, is that it's always working in the background to convert your website traffic into legitimate client enquiries and revenue opportunities.
We've only had MyWill on the website for a short time, but as a one-man band, we've probably had four or five people who have put their information through. That has already brought me in quite a bit of business. Because what I'm saying to clients is, before having to get online, use Teams or going to see them, I'm well ahead of the game just by saying to them, go on our site, put your information in, and then I've got it all. That's amazing, really, really helpful.”
The platform can easily be set up and customised, which means firms no longer need to invest valuable time and money in custom web development if they want a dynamic online solution.
“Web development companies charge you a load of money if you want to build something like MyWill for your website. But for someone like myself, it's far too much money, and it takes far too much time.”
Because MyWill doesn't require the client to pay upfront and instead puts the control in the hands of the firm, it results in a flexible and seamless process for both parties.
“There are systems out there where they take a payment, and they do the whole work on that. You don't really want that because you're just going to miss a load of work. MyWill brings them in, doesn't it?”
MyWill was added to the system earlier this year following the appointment of our new Managing Director, Kallum Durcan.
“And I was chatting to Kallum about it, he said his aim is to add value to the software. And that's the thing, it is adding value for us. And for me, it is a massive time-saver.”
As we continued to talk about the platform, Neal approached the topic of DIY Will services.
“What's your feeling on these DIY will services, where all they're doing is letting the client fill in the entire will?" I worry about it because I wonder, do they really know what they're doing? Do they really know?”
Our response shed some light on what inspired MyWill's development:
"So, for estate planners who are providing an excellent level of client service, I think a lot of them are struggling to compete with these 'do it yourself' platforms because their upfront costs are very low. I believe one huge factor that gets missed is buyer convenience, as on the surface, these services can offer an appealing and straightforward client journey. Because of the time and cost barriers that discourage estate planning firms from offering their own compliant and secure online solution, they can struggle to compete. The aim with MyWill is to provide an accessible and intuitive solution that gives firms a competitive edge in the online market with compliance and the client's best interest at heart."
Continuing this sentiment, Neal discusses the client experience, his personal approach and how WillSuite ties everything together.
“And this is for me, I want to deal personally with my client. That's personally how I operate, as the client gets a much better experience. With MyWill, I have a much better sales experience and a much higher sales value. When a client fills in the MyWill form via my website, I know whether it's going to be a good case, because I'll be in touch with them and we'll run through everything together. They've taken the time to give me all the information, knowing that there's no click button where they have to pay money. So for me, it's an absolute winner. You absolutely nailed it. That's what we needed. For the extra that you've actually put in, working together with WillSuite, the online part just clicks in perfectly. So I go into the will case as normal, but I've so much more information to start the process.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about how you can set up your own dynamic instruction-taking platform, embedded directly on your firm's website, get in touch with our team today. https://willsuite.co.uk/contact
Neal Astbury (Heritage Wills & Trusts) discusses some of the main reasons he uses WillSuite, how it helps him compete with larger firms and why the software has been a delight to work with.
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