The legal services industry has long been one of traditional practices delivered in the tried and tested way, remaining largely unchanged for decades. However, one Australian entrepreneur is challenging these conventions and demonstrating how technology can transform essential legal services while maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance.
David Kaplan, co-founder of Willed.com.au, has been at the forefront of Australia’s digital estate planning revolution, helping to make essential legal services accessible to millions of Australians who were previously underserved by traditional models. His approach offers valuable insights into how legal professionals can embrace innovation while serving their clients’ evolving needs.
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Identifying the Fundamental Problem
The genesis of Willed emerged from a recognition that Australia’s estate planning industry had significant systemic problems that technology could address. Traditional estate planning services created substantial barriers that prevented nearly half of Australian adults from having a will. This wasn’t because of a lack of understanding about their importance, but because of practical obstacles in the existing system. As per their own research, more than half of eligible Australians don’t have one written.
“We saw a significant gap in the market,” explains Kaplan. “Traditional will-writing was expensive, time-consuming, and often intimidating. We believed technology could make this essential service more accessible to everyday Australians.”
The traditional model required clients to schedule appointments during business hours, often waiting weeks for availability, take time off work for consultations, and pay substantial fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. For working parents, people in remote areas, and middle-income families, these barriers often proved insurmountable.
Reimagining Service Delivery from First Principles
Rather than simply digitizing existing legal processes, Kaplan’s approach involved completely reimagining estate planning from the customer’s perspective. This fundamental shift from lawyer-centric to customer-centric design has become a model for legal service innovation.
“Our platform removes the logistical barriers to will creation,” says Kaplan. “Our customers can start and complete their will whenever it is convenient for them, even at midnight in their pajamas if they prefer.”
This customer-centric approach resulted in several key innovations:
Balancing Technology with Human Expertise
One of the most significant challenges in legal service innovation is maintaining professional quality while leveraging technology for efficiency and accessibility. Kaplan’s approach demonstrates how technology can enhance rather than replace human expertise.
“Technology hasn’t replaced lawyers at Willed, but it has allowed us to focus on higher-value work while making basic legal services more accessible,” Kaplan explains. “We view technology as an enabler of human expertise, not a replacement for it.”
The platform handles routine aspects of estate planning, document assembly, compliance checking, and basic guidance — while legal professionals focus on quality assurance, complex case review, and continuous platform improvement. When the system identifies situations requiring personalized legal advice, clients are referred to traditional legal counsel.
Modern Estate Planning Challenges
Kaplan’s innovation extends beyond service delivery to address contemporary issues that traditional estate planning often overlooked.
Digital Asset Management
“Traditional will templates often didn’t account for digital assets. Modern online services guide users through cataloging these assets and providing clear instructions for executors on how to access and distribute them.”
The platform addresses cryptocurrency, social media accounts, online businesses, and digital photo collections. Previous generations never had to consider these as assets, but are increasingly important components of modern estates.
Complex Family Structures
Modern families are increasingly complex, with blended families, multiple marriages, and non-traditional relationships requiring sophisticated planning approaches. The platform’s logic systems can handle these situations while identifying cases that require additional legal consultation.
Consumer Expectation Evolution
“We’re seeing a significant shift in who creates wills and when,” notes Kaplan. “Our data shows 38% of users finally got around to creating a will specifically because online services made the process more approachable.”
Modern consumers expect transparency, convenience, and value across all aspects of their lives, including legal services. They want to understand what they’re purchasing, what it will cost, and how long it will take. This expectation shift is driving broader changes across the legal industry.
