Following the successful utilisation of Settify by Birketts’ Family Law Team, clients of the firm’s Private Client Advisory Team can now access the same platform to get assistance with their Wills.
Birketts was one of the first family law teams in the country to adopt the online tool Settify, which uses artificial intelligence to interact with clients in real-time. After an enthusiastic reception from employees and clients alike, less than a year later, the Settify tool is now available to clients seeking advice regarding estate planning and Wills.
By requesting responses to a series of questions, Settify allows clients to provide the relevant information and to describe their objectives. This enables the team to spend time on the important issues and to ensure that the advice provided is focussed and pertinent.
When the questionnaire has been completed, two reports are produced by the app: the first free, personalised report is sent to the client summarising the issues relevant to their situation and the second is sent to the team which lists the material information on the client’s circumstances and wishes. This allows the team to consider the client’s circumstances ahead of a first meeting or phone call and enables them to provide in-depth assistance as early as possible.
Louise Long, Partner and Head of Birketts’ Private Client Advisory team, said: “Tools like Settify not only help us to provide clients with a better service, but enable them to access our legal advice faster and more efficiently than ever before. In just 20 minutes the Settify tool, available on the Estate Planning and Wills page of Birketts’ website and on request, can generate a bespoke report for a client based on the information they provide. We are delighted to have access to this valuable tool which enables us to provide our clients with a greater insight into their legal needs from the very first contact. We can focus on providing advice to help clients achieve their aims.”
Edward Kirk, Head of Settify UK, said: “Following the success of the Family Law Team we have expanded our platform to assist Birketts’ clients with estate planning and Wills. Our system allows clients to provide their details and instruction at their own pace, saving both parties time and money. We have no doubt our sophisticated online system will help prospective clients reach the outcomes they need and we are happy to see a top 100 UK firm like Birketts embrace this technology.”
Throughout the challenges presented by COVID-19, Birketts has remained committed to advising clients, adapting its processes to ensure that Wills could be executed and clients could continue to receive the very highest levels of service. As always, the team will advise clients on the most appropriate method of dealing with the execution of their Wills, having regard to their particular circumstances.
The Private Client Advisory team are able to assist with a wide range of matters including wills, tax and succession planning, the administration of estates and trusts involving privately owned businesses, agricultural or farming interests and large property portfolios.