Using Automation in the Probate Process

Lengthy, data-heavy manual processes are common throughout the legal industry. This can be a headache for both law firms and their clients, but thankfully, automation offers a solution. As more lawyers use this technology, things like the probate process are seeing massive improvements.

Probate cases review and process deceased persons’ financial situation. That means ensuring their debts are paid, verifying their last will and testament and distributing their property accordingly. It’s an important but often lengthy and expensive process, but automation can transform it.

Probate cases are remarkably common, with more than 5,000 new cases filed every month in 2020. While automation in this industry is a fairly new phenomenon, robotic process automation (RPA) has several use cases within this process.

RPA tools can scan wills and other legal documents to extract important information. While human lawyers still need to go over these files themselves, this can help ensure they know what to look for. On the other side of things, RPA can file lawyers’ findings and automate other data entry processes before and after they analyze these documents.

Other automated tools can track employees’ time and services. This transparency can help improve the billing process or let firms get a better understanding of how they use their time.

RPA could also streamline communication, automatically alerting relevant parties when there’s a new development. Similar tools could track important dates or organize law offices’ files to help them stay on top of things.

Despite being relatively new, automation in the rebate process already shows impressive potential. Here’s a look at some of its most significant benefits for law firms and their clients.

One of the biggest advantages of automation in the probate process is its speed. Probate cases can last longer than a year, largely because they rely on slow, manual paperwork and review. Because RPA can analyze and file documents far faster than a person could, it can streamline the process.

Even automation that doesn’t directly handle probate processes can help speed up the timeline. RPA tools can manage other repetitive, time-consuming tasks so lawyers can focus on the more sensitive work. As a result, firms will be able to do more at once, helping them address any probate concerns quicker.

Automation can also help reduce errors in the probate process. Analyzing documents, researching and filing forms isn’t very engaging, so it’s easy even for professionals to become distracted or tired while doing that. When that happens, people make mistakes, which can have severe consequences in this field.

Mistakes from manual data entry processes are common, with 37% of business leaders saying they don’t trust manual data because of high error rates. RPA tools will never act outside the parameters their users set and can’t get tired or distracted. As a result, they can reduce errors in the probate process, helping avoid legal headaches and ensuring everyone gets a fair result. 

Automating parts of the probate process will also reduce associated costs. By accomplishing more in less time, law firms can avoid unnecessarily high labor costs. Some studies suggest organizations can save $878,000 a year by avoiding mistakes and improving efficiency through automation.

These savings will reflect on what beneficiaries pay, too. If lawyers don’t have to spend as long on a case, their clients will have fewer billable hours to pay for. Fewer mistakes will also result in fairer fees, potentially saving clients even more.

Probate cases can be long and stressful for everyone involved with conventional approaches. Automation changes that, helping both lawyers and the people who hire them save time, money and stress.

As the industry embraces automation more, these benefits will apply across many legal proceedings. The entire sector could evolve into something more accessible, affordable and convenient.