Estate planning isn’t just another service to consider offering your clients. According to recent studies, 70% of Americans want their advisor to provide estate planning, and 40% would switch to get it!

That means the question isn’t if you’ll add estate planning to your practice, but how fast you can get it done.

At ePIC Services Company, we’ve walked hundreds of advisors through this process, and here’s the truth: the ones who win aren’t the ones who dabble. They’re the ones who build a system.

So let’s get practical. Here’s your advisor checklist for integrating estate planning into your business:

1. Understand Where Your Clients Live

Estate planning is state-specific. Every jurisdiction has its own rules, which is why you’ll need:

• Access to attorneys licensed in your clients’ states.

• Awareness of a critical concept called jurisdictional shopping: choosing the right state’s laws for trusts can drastically impact outcomes.

Most advisors skip this step, leaving clients exposed and themselves at risk.

2. Choose Your Estate Planning Tool (and Know Your Limits)

DIY estate planning software sounds appealing, until you realize how much time it demands from you.

• Will you manage the client onboarding yourself?

• Do you have the bandwidth to track updates, funding, and documents?

DIY vs DFY (done-for-you) is the fork in the road. Choose wisely! Your time is best spent in front of clients, not buried in admin.

3. Know What It Means to Be a TIA (Trusted Investment Advisor)

Being named the Trusted Investment Advisor (TIA) inside a client’s trust is a huge opportunity. It cements your role at the center of their financial life. But:

• Do you know how to present this value to your clients?

• Are you clear on the compliance guardrails?

This single conversation can determine whether you’re a transaction-based advisor, or the lifelong steward of a family’s legacy.

4. Master the Funding Process

An estate plan isn’t worth much if assets don’t get retitled. Funding is where most estate plans fail, and it’s also where trust is won or lost.

• Do you have a system for gathering all assets?

• Can you guide clients through transferring titles and updating beneficiaries?

If you don’t, plans sit idle and clients lose faith.

5. Secure Notary Access

It sounds simple, but execution matters. Documents aren’t binding until notarized. Advisors need:

• An in-house notary, or

• A streamlined way to connect clients with one locally.

Miss this step, and the whole process can stall.

The Urgency: Why Advisors Can’t Wait

Estate planning is no longer optional. It’s the differentiator that keeps assets with you through the Great Wealth Transfer. Advisors who integrate it now will:

• Lock in client loyalty before competitors catch on.

• Create multi-generational relationships.

• Open the door to more referrals and introductions.

Advisors who delay? They risk watching clients walk away. Remember, 40% already say they would.

Your Next Step: The Full Advisor How-To Guide

This simple checklist is just the start!

We’ve put together an expanded guide with deeper explanations, conversation scripts, and advisor tips so you can implement estate planning faster, with less guesswork.

👉 Download your free copy: 'Advisor Estate Planning Integration Checklist'

"Because adding estate planning isn’t just about serving clients better, it’s about securing your future as their trusted advisor." - Carter Wilcoxson, CEO | ePIC Services Company