The wills and estates expert explains why access to legal services is such a pressing concern today
With families going global, estate and tax issues are now spanning multiple jurisdictions. This, according to Ben Ades, is a significant challenge for wills and estates law in Australia.
Earlier this week, the Barry Nilsson special counsel told Australasian Lawyer why he enjoys his work in wills and estates law. In the second part of this September interview, Ades talks the transformative power of technology in the legal profession and why the human element of being a lawyer can never be replaced.
What should the profession focus more on?
We should focus more on client education and proactive planning. Too often, people only seek legal advice when a crisis arises. By promoting early and ongoing estate planning, we can help clients avoid unnecessary stress and conflict.
What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
One pressing challenge is ensuring access to legal services, especially as legal processes become more complex and costly. In wills and estates, there’s also the growing need to address digital assets and cross-jurisdictional estate and tax issues as families become more global.
What are your thoughts on new technology and its impact on the legal profession?
Technology is transforming the legal industry, and wills and wstates is no exception. Technology such as self serve online will providers and AI-driven document review are making legal services more accessible.
However, in my view, the human element remains irreplaceable, especially when dealing with sensitive and/or complex matters. The challenge is to embrace innovation in an effective and ethical way while maintaining the personal touch that clients value.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
I’m excited about the increasing integration of technology, including AI, in practice management and document generation. Tools that streamline document management and client communication (such as transcription of video conferences using AI) are making our work more efficient and accessible. Also, we are in the midst of a significant intergenerational wealth transfer which is directly influencing my practice.
