How to Become an Estate Planner: The Project Will Way

Estate planning is one of the most rewarding and accessible professional careers in the UK legal services sector. You do not need a law degree. You do not need years of expensive training. And thanks to Project Will, you do not need to figure it out on your own. Since 2009, Project Will has been supporting estate planners across the UK with training, technology, and a community that helps practitioners build successful practices from the ground up.

In this guide, we explain exactly what an estate planner does, why the UK desperately needs more qualified professionals, how Project Will's ecosystem gives you everything you need to get started, and the step-by-step path to building a thriving estate planning practice.

What Does an Estate Planner Do?

Estate planning goes far beyond writing wills. While wills are the foundation of the profession, a modern estate planner provides a comprehensive range of services that help clients protect their families, their assets, and their wishes. Here is what falls under the estate planning umbrella:

• Will writing: Drafting single wills, mirror wills for couples, and complex wills involving trusts, business assets, and international elements.
• Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs): Preparing health and welfare LPAs and property and financial affairs LPAs, which authorise chosen people to make decisions if the client loses mental capacity.
• Trusts: Setting up property protection trusts, life interest trusts, discretionary trusts, and vulnerable person trusts to protect assets and provide for beneficiaries. Our detailed guide on trusts explained for estate planners covers each type in depth.
• Severance of joint tenancy: Converting jointly owned property from joint tenants to tenants in common, which is essential for many trust-based estate plans.
• Inheritance tax planning: Advising clients on how their estate will be taxed and recommending strategies to reduce the IHT liability where appropriate.
• Estate administration: Some estate planners also assist with probate and estate administration after a client's death, providing a continuing relationship with the family.
• Document storage and review: Offering secure storage of original documents and periodic reviews to ensure estate plans remain up to date.

The breadth of services is what makes estate planning such a compelling career. You are not just filling in forms; you are advising families at pivotal moments in their lives and providing genuine protection for the people and things they care about most.

Why the UK Needs More Estate Planners

The demand for estate planning services in the UK is staggering, and the supply of professionals to meet that demand is nowhere near sufficient.

Over 60% of UK adults do not have a will. That represents more than 30 million people whose families are unprotected. The need for estate planners has never been greater, and the market opportunity has never been larger.

The Numbers Tell the Story

• Over 60% of adults have no will: Despite regular media coverage about the importance of wills, the majority of the UK adult population remains unprotected. Every one of these people is a potential client.
• An ageing population: The UK's population is getting older. As people accumulate more assets, experience more complex family situations, and become more aware of their mortality, the demand for estate planning increases every year.
• Rising property values: With average UK house prices having risen significantly over the past two decades, more estates are now above the inheritance tax threshold, creating greater demand for tax planning and trusts.
• Complex family structures: Divorce, remarriage, and blended families are increasingly common. These situations create estate planning challenges that simple wills cannot address, driving demand for trusts and more sophisticated planning.
• Growing awareness of LPAs: Media coverage of cases where families have struggled because no LPA was in place has dramatically increased public awareness. LPA registrations have grown year on year, and there is still massive untapped demand.

All of this adds up to a profession with genuine, growing demand and not enough practitioners to serve it. If you are looking for a career where your skills will always be needed, estate planning is an excellent choice.

The Project Will Story

Project Will Ltd was founded in 2009 with a clear mission: to support estate planners with the tools, training, and technology they need to run successful practices. Over the years, Project Will has grown into a comprehensive ecosystem that serves estate planners at every stage of their career.

The Project Will ecosystem includes:

• Become an Estate Planner: A dedicated resource for people who want to enter the profession. It provides information about the career, training pathways, and everything you need to know before getting started.
• Willo: Professional will writing and estate planning software. This is your day-to-day tool for drafting wills, LPAs, trusts, and managing your client base. Everything is included for just £150 per month, with no contracts and no accreditation required.
• Ask an Estate Planner: A consumer-facing platform that connects the public with qualified estate planners, generating awareness and enquiries for practitioners.
• Lead marketplace: Willo includes access to a marketplace where you can purchase qualified estate planning leads for just £5 each, giving you a reliable source of new clients.

What makes the Project Will approach different is that it removes the traditional barriers to entry. You do not need to pay thousands of pounds for training. You do not need to join an accreditation body before you can start practising. You do not need to commit to expensive long-term software contracts. Project Will believes that talented, dedicated people should be able to enter this profession and succeed based on their ability, not their ability to pay upfront fees.

What You Do Not Need (Busting the Myths)

There are several persistent myths about becoming a will writer or estate planner. Let us address them directly.

Myth: You need a law degree

False. Will writing is not a reserved legal activity in the UK. You do not need to be a solicitor or barrister to write wills, prepare LPAs, or set up trusts. While a legal background can be helpful, many of the most successful estate planners come from entirely different professional backgrounds, including financial services, insurance, teaching, nursing, and the military.

Myth: You must be accredited by a professional body

False. While organisations like the Society of Will Writers and the Institute of Professional Will Writers exist and offer memberships, there is no legal requirement to be accredited by any body before you start practising. Willo requires no accreditation to use. What matters is that you have proper training, professional indemnity insurance, and the right tools to do the job properly.

Myth: You need thousands of pounds to get started

False. Your main costs are professional indemnity insurance (typically £300-£500 per year), Willo software (£150 per month, no contract), and basic business expenses. Compare this to becoming a solicitor (a degree plus postgraduate qualification costing tens of thousands of pounds and taking 5-7 years) and the accessibility of estate planning becomes clear.

Myth: The market is saturated

Absolutely false. With over 60% of adults lacking a will, the market is vastly underserved. There is room for thousands more estate planners across the UK. Our guide on how to become a will writer goes into more detail about the market opportunity.

The Willo Platform: Your Professional Tool

Once you have decided to become an estate planner, you need professional software to draft documents, manage clients, and run your practice efficiently. Willo is purpose-built for this role.

What Willo Includes

• Will drafting: Single wills, mirror wills, and complex wills with trust provisions. Guided templates walk you through every step.
• LPA preparation: Health and welfare LPAs and property and financial affairs LPAs, formatted and ready for registration with the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Trust drafting: Built-in support for property protection trusts, life interest trusts, discretionary trusts, and more.
• Client management: Keep track of all your clients, their documents, and their instructions in one secure platform.
• Lead marketplace: Access qualified estate planning leads for just £5 each, directly within the platform.
• No per-document fees: Unlike some competitors who charge per will or per LPA, Willo's £150/month fee covers everything. Draft as many documents as your practice demands.
• No contracts: Pay monthly, cancel anytime. There is no lock-in and no long-term commitment.

At £150 per month, Willo pays for itself after your very first client. A single will at £250 covers more than a month's subscription. When you are seeing multiple clients per week and offering comprehensive estate planning packages worth £1,000-£2,500, the return on investment is extraordinary. For a detailed breakdown of what you can earn, read our guide on how much will writers earn.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started

Here is a clear, actionable roadmap for becoming an estate planner with Project Will.

Step 1: Learn About the Profession

Visit Become an Estate Planner to understand what the role involves, the services you will provide, and the career potential. Read through the resources available and get a clear picture of what your working life will look like.

Step 2: Complete Your Training

Project Will provides training resources to help you develop the knowledge and skills you need. Focus on understanding the law of succession, the Mental Capacity Act (for LPAs), trust law fundamentals, and the practical aspects of taking instructions and advising clients. You do not need to become a legal expert overnight; you need a solid working knowledge that you will continue to build throughout your career.

Step 3: Get Professional Indemnity Insurance

Before you see your first client, you need professional indemnity insurance. This protects you and your clients if something goes wrong. Several insurers specialise in covering will writers and estate planners, and premiums are typically £300-£500 per year for a new practitioner.

Step 4: Set Up on Willo

Sign up for Willo and familiarise yourself with the platform. Explore the will drafting templates, LPA preparation tools, and trust provisions. Practice creating documents so that when you sit down with your first client, you are confident with the system.

Step 5: Start Finding Clients

There are multiple routes to finding your first clients:

• Willo's lead marketplace: Purchase qualified leads for just £5 each. These are people who have actively requested help with their estate plans.
• Personal network: Tell friends, family, and former colleagues what you do. Word of mouth is powerful, especially when you are starting out.
• Local networking: Join business networking groups, attend community events, and introduce yourself to local financial advisers, accountants, and funeral directors who can refer clients to you.
• Online presence: Create a simple website and social media profiles. Many clients now search online for local estate planners.
• Talks and seminars: Offer free educational talks at local community centres, churches, or retirement groups. These events generate trust and enquiries.

For a comprehensive approach to finding clients, read our complete guide to will writing leads.

Step 6: See Your First Client

Your first client appointment might feel daunting, but the Willo platform guides you through the process. Listen carefully to the client's wishes, ask the right questions, explain their options clearly, and use Willo to draft their documents. Most initial appointments take 60-90 minutes, and you can draft the documents immediately afterwards.

Step 7: Expand Your Services

Once you are comfortable with basic will writing, start expanding into LPAs, trusts, and comprehensive estate planning packages. This is where your income really grows. Every client you see should be offered the full range of services that are relevant to their situation. Our guide on trusts explained for estate planners will help you build confidence with trust advice.

Step 8: Build and Grow

As your reputation develops and your referral network grows, you will find that clients come to you more easily. Focus on delivering excellent service, keep learning, and continuously improve your practice. Some estate planners choose to stay as sole practitioners; others build teams and grow into larger businesses. The choice is yours.

The Career Potential

Estate planning is a career that scales with your ambition and effort. Here is what the trajectory typically looks like:

These figures are realistic and achievable. For a detailed analysis with real monthly income examples, read our guide on how much will writers earn in the UK.

Why the Project Will Way Works

The estate planning industry has traditionally been guarded by expensive training programmes, mandatory accreditation fees, and costly software subscriptions with per-document charges. Project Will takes a fundamentally different approach.

• Accessible training: Become an Estate Planner provides free resources to help you learn the profession without taking on debt.
• Affordable technology: Willo costs £150/month with no contracts and no per-document fees. You are never penalised for being productive.
• No gatekeeping: No mandatory accreditation is required. Your ability to succeed depends on your skills and dedication, not your membership of a particular organisation.
• Built-in lead generation: The £5 lead marketplace means you do not need to spend thousands on marketing before you see a return.
• Ongoing support: Project Will has been supporting estate planners since 2009. You are joining a community, not just buying a product.

This approach has helped hundreds of estate planners build successful practices across the UK. Whether you are looking for a complete career change, a profitable side business, or a way to expand an existing financial services practice, the Project Will ecosystem gives you everything you need.

What Makes a Great Estate Planner?

The best estate planners share certain qualities that go beyond technical knowledge:

• Empathy and listening skills: Clients are discussing deeply personal matters, including what happens after they die, who cares for their children, and how their life's work is distributed. Being a good listener and showing genuine care makes an enormous difference.
• Attention to detail: Estate planning documents have legal consequences. Accuracy in names, addresses, trust provisions, and appointment clauses is non-negotiable.
• Clear communication: You need to explain complex legal concepts in plain English. Clients do not need to know the legal jargon; they need to understand their options and make informed decisions.
• Business mindset: As a self-employed estate planner, you are running a business. You need to manage your time, market your services, handle finances, and continuously improve your practice.
• Commitment to learning: The law changes, new products emerge, and client needs evolve. The best estate planners never stop learning.

Take the First Step Today

There has never been a better time to become an estate planner. The demand is enormous and growing. The barriers to entry have never been lower. And with Project Will's ecosystem of training, technology, and support, you have a clear and proven pathway to success.

Start by visiting Become an Estate Planner to learn about the profession. When you are ready to start practising, sign up for Willo and begin building your practice. And when you need clients, the £5 lead marketplace is right there in the platform.

Your future clients are out there right now, unprotected and unaware of what they need. The UK needs more estate planners, and you could be one of them.