A client can now ask an AI tool what should be included in an estate plan, what happens if they die without a will, or how to think about beneficiaries, executors and guardians. In seconds, they may receive an explanation, checklist or basic draft. It can make estate planning feel more accessible for clients who have avoided the conversation because it seemed complicated or uncomfortable.

That is helpful, but it can also create a dangerous impression that estate planning is mainly about producing a document rather than understanding the family, responsibilities and intentions behind it.

A will is only one part of an estate plan, yet it is often where a client’s most important choices become visible. Without the right conversation, even a neat document may fail the family when it matters most.

More than a document

An estate planning discussion is often reduced to a simple question: “Do you have a will?” Yet, as many advisers already know, that is only the starting point. The real value lies in drawing out the context technology cannot see on its own.

A will gives effect to choices about beneficiaries, executors, minor children and competing family interests. It may also need to account for a surviving spouse, children from a previous relationship, stepchildren, informal dependants, a family business, offshore assets or sentimental items.

The risk, therefore, is not only that a client has no will. It is that the will they have no longer reflects their family, assets, obligations or intentions.

The right conversation

Many advisers already understand that the better question is not only “Do you have a will?” but “Does your will still reflect your life?” A will signed before a second marriage, a child, a divorce, a business sale or a permanently changed relationship may no longer serve the client’s needs. The conversation may also reveal a hidden dependant, an unsuitable executor, a liquidity problem or a beneficiary who may be surprised by the client’s wishes.

If AI makes basic information and drafting more accessible, advisers do not need to compete on speed. Their value lies in gaining a deeper understanding of the client’s context: connecting the will to the client’s wider financial position, including estate liquidity, beneficiary nominations, trusts, insurance, tax and business interests, and identifying where specialist input is needed.

Estate planning should therefore form part of the ongoing advice relationship, with major changes in the client’s family, assets or business prompting a review.

For advisers this means asking the questions a generic tool may never know to ask: What has changed since this will was signed? Who depends on you but is not mentioned? Is there enough liquidity? Is the chosen executor still the right one? Does the will reflect your current relationships and responsibilities?

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Its content does not take account of any person’s specific circumstances, objectives, or needs. Readers should consult an appropriately qualified financial adviser or other relevant professional before making any financial or estate-planning decision.