Says lawyers won’t lose jobs. New service seeks to simplify Will preparation, expand access to legal services
Castle eWill and Trust Limited, a Nigerian technology company, has introduced a digital estate-planning platform designed to simplify Will preparation, promote succession planning and make estate-planning services more accessible to Nigerians.
The platform enables adults to prepare, update, securely store and manage their Wills and Trusts online, with the aim of helping individuals protect their families, preserve their assets and ensure that their lawful wishes are respected after their death.
The Chief Executive of company, Mr Olumide Olaiya said its initiative was founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to plan for the future of their loved ones, regardless of their financial status or location.
Its vision is to become Africa’s most trusted digital platform for estate planning, Will preparation, Trust administration and probate support.
According to him, many Nigerians postpone making Wills because they consider the subject uncomfortable, complicated or relevant only to wealthy individuals.
Olaiya says Castle eWill hopes to change this perception by providing an accessible starting point for estate planning while encouraging users to seek appropriate professional legal advice.
The Will preparation process on the platform consists of five stages, beginning with the provision of personal information, followed by details of executors, trustees, beneficiaries and assets.
Users are then required to provide particulars of their gifts and wishes, supply information about witnesses, and review and confirm the document before printing and submitting it to the relevant High Court Probate Registry.
Olaiya said the process was structured to make Will preparation more straightforward while incorporating security measures intended to protect users and the authenticity of their documents.
On data protection, files are encrypted before being written to disk, while attempts to access them are logged.
The platform also incorporates identity-verification measures, including email confirmation, authentication of government-issued identification documents and comparison with a live camera check. The company said these procedures are designed to establish that the person making a Will is the individual identified in the document.
Another feature is a QR seal attached to every Will produced through the platform. According to the company, scanning the code allows a recipient to verify the document’s identity, version and date of issuance, helping institutions such as banks and registries determine whether a copy is genuine and current.
The platform also sends reminders encouraging subscribers to review their Wills every 12 months and after significant life events that could affect their estate plans.
Such events include marriage, the birth of a child and the acquisition of property.
Lawyers remain central to estate planning
Addressing concerns that digital Will-making services could take work away from legal practitioners, Castle eWill maintained that its platform was intended to expand, rather than diminish, opportunities for lawyers.
The company argued that making estate planning more accessible could bring people who have never consulted a lawyer about Wills or Trusts into the process, creating additional demand for professional legal services.
It said the growing adoption of estate planning could generate more work involving legal advice, Will drafting and execution, Trust administration, probate proceedings, property matters, estate management and disputes among beneficiaries.
The company expressed its intention to work with lawyers across Nigeria to deliver these services.
Drawing a comparison with developments in the banking industry, Castle eWill said internet banking and mobile applications had expanded access to banking services rather than eliminated the need for banks and banking professionals.
It said a similar principle could apply to legal services, with technology helping more people take the first step towards succession planning while lawyers provide the expertise required for complex matters.
According to the company, professional legal advice remains particularly important in estates involving complicated family structures, corporate assets, jointly owned properties, customary and Islamic law, foreign assets, taxation, guardianship, business succession and competing claims by beneficiaries.
Such circumstances, it said, may require tailored estate-planning solutions that go beyond the use of a digital platform.
Lawyers would also continue to play essential roles in advising families, executors, trustees and beneficiaries during estate administration and the resolution of disputes.
Castle eWill’s central message is that estate planning should not be reserved for the wealthy but regarded as an act of responsibility towards family members and other dependants.
The company said its goal was to encourage more Nigerians to plan for the future, protect those who depend on them and obtain the professional guidance necessary to ensure that their wishes are properly documented and implemented.
It stressed that while technology could widen access to estate planning, professional legal judgment remained essential to ensuring that individuals and families receive appropriate advice.
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