Before the first meeting, the client fills in an online questionnaire about family, assets, heirs, guardians and the chosen attorney-in-fact. The answers fill the lawyer's will and power-of-attorney templates in Google Docs, so a complete first draft is waiting in the client's folder.
Typical results
≈1.75 hrs
Saved per estate planning client
2 drafts
Will and power of attorney from one questionnaire
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
A solo estate planning lawyer spends much of each first meeting taking dictation: names and birth dates of children, a list of assets, who inherits what and who serves as guardian. The draft is then typed from those notes over the following days, which takes about two hours per client and delays the second meeting.
Before and after
Lawyer minutes to produce a first draft
−88%Days from first meeting to draft review
−67%The automation
The booking confirmation includes a link to an online questionnaire covering family members, assets, heirs, guardians for minor children and the chosen attorney-in-fact. On submission, Make copies the lawyer's will and power-of-attorney templates in Google Docs, fills every placeholder from the answers and switches optional clauses on or off, such as a guardianship clause when there are minor children. Both drafts are saved to the client's Google Drive folder and the lawyer gets an email with the links.
How it works
- 01
Questionnaire link sent
The booking confirmation gives the client a link to the online questionnaire to complete before the first meeting.
- 02
Client answers at home
Family members, assets, heirs, guardians and the attorney-in-fact are entered once, with required fields checked.
- 03
Templates filled
The lawyer's will and power-of-attorney templates are copied in Google Docs and every placeholder is filled from the answers.
- 04
Optional clauses set
Clauses switch on or off by the answers, such as guardianship when there are minor children.
- 05
Drafts ready for review
Both drafts land in the client's Google Drive folder and the lawyer gets an email with the links.
Starts from
- Client questionnaire
Delivers
- Draft will in Google Docs
- Draft power of attorney
- Lawyer email with links
The impact
The first draft appears in the client's folder within minutes of submission, and checking it takes the lawyer about 15 minutes, against roughly two hours of typing per client. The first meeting goes to advice and decisions, and the second meeting can be booked within days.
Questions about this automation
Does it replace the lawyer's own templates?
It uses the templates the lawyer already trusts, with placeholders added where answers go and markers around optional clauses. The wording stays the lawyer's own. When a template changes, the next draft uses the new version, so there is nothing separate to maintain.
What happens if the client leaves questions blank?
Required questions, such as the attorney-in-fact and the main heirs, must be answered before the form submits. Optional sections left blank keep their clauses switched off, and the draft carries a short list of open points for the lawyer to raise in the meeting.
What is needed to set it up?
The lawyer's current will and power-of-attorney templates, a list of the questions they want asked, and access to Google Drive. Simple automations like this are usually live within days, starting with the will and adding the power of attorney once the first drafts are checked.