Vanilla

Feb 24, 2026

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Choosing Estate Planning Software for Your RIA: A Decision-Making Framework

For RIA principals and wealth management firm leaders, estate planning software is a strategic investment that will shape how your team delivers advice, deepens client relationships, and scales personalized planning across your firm.

Depending on the platform you choose, estate planning software can create a significant competitive advantage, enabling advisors to deliver sophisticated estate strategies efficiently and helping clients clearly see the impact of complex plans. 

Within this framework, we’ll explore how to evaluate estate planning platforms through the lens of what your firm needs to grow while bringing more value to clients.

Why choosing the right estate planning software matters for RIAs

Estate planning has shifted from an occasional engagement to a cornerstone of comprehensive wealth planning. Clients expect their advisors to help them understand how assets will transfer, minimize tax exposure, and protect family wealth across generations.

Most firms recognize the evolution but struggle to execute estate planning at scale. Manual estate planning processes are unsustainable across hundreds of client relationships. Spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides fail to capture the complexity of modern estate strategies, and generic document assembly tools weren’t built with wealth management context in mind.

Estate planning software that’s purpose-built for advisory firms becomes the infrastructure that enables your team to deliver sophisticated planning consistently, visualize strategies clients can understand, and identify opportunities that drive deeper engagement.

Using the right software, firms can transform estate planning from a reactive service into a proactive service line that attracts clients, retains assets across generations, and creates new revenue opportunities.

Core criteria for evaluating estate planning software 

Before you start looking at specific platforms, establish your evaluation criteria. Four factors in particular separate purpose-built estate planning solutions from repurposed consumer tools and ineffective legacy software.

1. Built specifically for wealth management firms

Consumer-facing estate planning tools are designed for straightforward situations and basic documents, not clients with multiple properties, business interests, blended families, or taxable estates.

Look for platforms built specifically for wealth advisors serving clients across the full wealth spectrum. The right estate planning software should support straightforward planning needs just as effectively as complex family structures, advanced trust strategies, and multi-jurisdictional scenarios. For higher-complexity cases, depth matters. Platforms built for advisory firms should enable your team to model advanced techniques such as spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), and dynasty planning

2. Ease of use for advisors and clients

Evaluate how intuitive the platform is for your team. Can an advisor build a comprehensive estate plan without extensive training? Can your team members collaborate within the platform without email chains and version control issues?

Client experience matters just as much. Look for platforms that translate legal structures into visual presentations, flowcharts showing asset transfers, and interactive diagrams that clients can explore during meetings.

3. Accuracy, scenario modeling, and visual outputs

Estate planning depends on precise calculations. Does the platform handle federal estate tax, state estate tax, and state inheritance tax correctly? Can it model generation-skipping transfer tax for dynasty planning?

Scenario modeling separates basic tools from strategic platforms. Your clients will want to understand their options; look for platforms that let you build multiple scenarios side by side so clients can see the projected outcomes of different strategies.

Visual outputs can be the difference between comprehension and confusion, setting the foundation for more productive planning conversations.

4. Integration with existing tech stacks

Check which integrations the platform offers. Does it connect with financial planning and portfolio management tools, such as eMoney, Addepar, Black Diamond, or Orion? Can it pull account data automatically so advisors aren’t manually entering information?

A practical decision-making framework for RIAs

Use the following step-by-step process to compare platforms systematically, ensuring your final choice aligns with your firm’s goals and existing resources:

1. Define your firm’s estate planning objectives. Before evaluation begins, clarify what you want to accomplish. Are you trying to differentiate your firm? Deepen relationships with existing clients? Improve efficiency for advisors who already do planning work?
2. Assess current capabilities and gaps. Take inventory of what your firm does today. Where do advisors struggle? Understanding your current state and desired future state creates a clear picture of what the platform needs to deliver.
3. Involve stakeholders across the firm. Estate planning software affects multiple teams. Include representatives from advisors, operations, compliance, and technology in your evaluation.
4. Request demos focused on your specific use cases. Share real client scenarios with vendors before the demo. Ask them to show you exactly how their platform would handle a complex trust strategy your firm recently implemented.
5. Evaluate using a comprehensive checklist. Our buyer’s guide includes a detailed evaluation checklist covering document creation, visualization capabilities, scenario modeling, integrations, security, support, and AI features. Use this checklist to systematically compare platforms.
6. Calculate total cost of ownership. Calculate total investment over three years, including licensing fees, implementation costs, training expenses, and ongoing support. Compare this against the value the platform creates through increased client retention, new revenue, and advisor productivity gains.
7. Pilot with a small advisor team. Before a firm-wide rollout, pilot the platform with a small group of advisors for 60 to 90 days. Gather feedback on what works and what doesn’t.
8. Plan for firm-wide implementation and adoption. Create a detailed rollout plan that includes technical setup, advisor training, client communication, and ongoing support. Monitor adoption metrics after launch and adjust based on what the data shows.

The bottom line for RIAs evaluating estate planning software

Think of estate planning software as the infrastructure that enables more strategic capabilities for your firm. Choosing the right platform can reshape how you deliver value, helping you attract clients looking for comprehensive wealth planning and building a bridge to the next generation.

Ready to start evaluating? Request a demo of Vanilla to explore how it can help you scale sophisticated planning, deepen client relationships, and differentiate your practice.

The information provided here does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. It is provided for general informational purposes only. This information may not be updated or reflect changes in law. Please consult with an estate attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional who can advise as to your particular situation.