From lawyer, to Microsoft and Meta, and now to Arken.legal, Anthony Philips legal journey takes him through a series of household technology names and halfway round the world before recently landing as CEO at the will writing and technology platform.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Philips shares his reflections on his own journye, and that of the wills and probate sector which is going through a process of digitalisation, modernisation and cultural change.

Wills and probate is a uniquely personal area of law; one in which the interface between people and technology must be navigated sensitively and incrementally says Philips.

He is an advocate for much of the proposed modernisation outlined in the Law Commission’s wholesale review of wills law; although he is clear technology should be an enabler, not an ideological driver. Practitioners and clients should be able to produce either a traditional paper will or an electronic version seamlessly, depending on what is right for them. Electronic wills are not inherently “better,” but suggests they can provide evidential advantages such as timestamps and enhanced audit trails. But concerns around remote witnessing, coercion, and safeguarding must be addressed with practical, industry‑led solutions rather than by leaving government to define standards alone.

There are lessons from other areas of law and technology to be learned too. Many sectors face interoperability challenges, the integration of different and competing technologies and platforms into each other to create a more seamless user experience, and the need for digital infrastructure improvements across government.

And in closing, Philips acknowledges there is a huge amount of complexity, interconnectivity, relationships and sector dynamics that take time to understand which all have a role to play in the speed of change.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, and Property Ladder Group

A deeply personal tragedy is the inspiration behind a new book launched by will writer Steve Bish, and the topic of discussion on the latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast.

Bish is somewhat typical of many will writers who have unconventional routes in to the legal profession. His own career began in sales, marketing, training and recruitment, before running a traditional wooden window manufacturing business.

But the untimely and tragic death of a friend led Bish to retrain and become a will writer after supporting the family of his friend, and helping deal with the legal aftermath.

Close friend Carl was killed in a traffic collision during a scooter ride the pair were taking one evening. Carl died without a will, leaving his wife Anne and young daughter to navigate the rules of intestacy at the worst possible time. Witnessing their struggle left an imprint on Steve that inspired him to retrain.

He now spends a huge amount of time and energy advising clients on the importance of estate planning; a motivation that ultimately fuelled the creation of his book. He didn’t want a dry technical manual or a textbook that gathers dust. Instead, he aimed for a plain‑English, conversational guide, the kind of resource people could pick up, dip in and out of, and actually understand. The tone echoes how he speaks at WI and Rotary talks: relatable, humorous, accessible and packed with real‑world examples.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way is now available to purchase, with a proportion of each sale being donated to the Kaotic Angel Foundation.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, and Property Ladder Group

Estate planning is changing; demand is rising, lifestyles are changing, family structures are becoming more complex, and taxation is crippling. Clients no longer want, or indeed need, a simple will. They want a plan. Something reviewed regularly. Something that adapts as life changes.

It's the topic of the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast as host David Opie welcome Andrew Houston, Managing Director of CTT Group on to discuss his views on moving away from traditional transactional work toward a model where ongoing service will become the norm.

With a nod to CTT's founder and industry innovator Clive Ponder, whose death just over 12 months ago came as a great shock, innovation and technology will be at the core of how we as an industry deliver the future of estate planning services.

AI is already reshaping training, advice quality, and client engagement; indeed CTT themselves have invested heavily in an in-house AI simulator, which allows advisers to practise conversations with a virtual client. It tests technical knowledge. It tests soft skills. And it provides instant feedback. A far cry from the old model of supervisors shadowing advisers in person.

Clients expect speed. Consistency and transparency in the all important fact find which, with the ever evolving legal landscape and rise in contentious matters, makes the role of technology in capturing information, prompting the right questions, and creating clear audit trails, all the more important.

Technology, says Houston, is the enabler.

There will of course be winners and losers. Firms that fail to evolve will fall behind. The winners will be those who continue to innovate. Those who embrace data. Those who refine the client journey. The next three years, he predicts, will bring rapid acceleration and possibly start to see a hugely fragmented market, consolidate.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, and Property Ladder Group