About Riopelle Group
While many law firms rushed to set up remote work during COVID-19, it was business as usual for Melanie Nylund and her team at Riopelle Group. Their VPN systems and offsite servers had been running smoothly for years between their Timmins and Ottawa offices. "When Covid hit, there was no rush for new systems," Melanie recalls. "We had everything in place already."
While the firm was tech-savvy in most areas, one aspect of their practice lagged behind: technology. For over a decade, they had relied on a legacy will-building software—an outdated estate planning program that resembled software from the disk operating era. They found themselves constantly wrestling with unstable software and time-consuming workarounds for their estate planning work.
Since switching to eState Planner, the firm has transformed its estate planning practice. Documents are more consistent, staff training is simpler, and Melanie's team can handle a higher volume of files with greater confidence.
I can actually review and work on more will files than before, because the documents are consistent and I'm more confident in the drafting that my assistant produces.
- Mélanie Nylund, lawyer, Riopelle Group
When old software holds back innovation and growth
Having studied computer science, Melanie was the only one comfortable with the previous will-building software's archaic interface and Boolean language. "I knew the program inside and out after using it for 10+ years," she explains. "But that was the problem; it never changed or improved."
The outdated software created daily headaches:
System instability and lost work: Staff members had to constantly save their work to prevent crashes, creating anxiety and reducing productivity.
Complex training and onboarding: With no built-in training resources, Melanie personally shouldered the burden of teaching every new team member how to navigate the complicated system.
Inconsistent document quality: Precedents required manual updates and modifications, leading to inconsistencies between the firm's two offices. This variation increased review time and created quality control challenges across locations.
Inefficient drafting process: What should have been straightforward estate planning documents took hours to complete due to the software's cumbersome interface and constant need for manual intervention. This limited the firm's capacity to take on new clients and grow their practice.
When I trained anyone new on the software, I had to do the training, not the will-building software," Melanie recalls. "And a major difficulty was stressing that you need to save your work constantly because the software was unstable.
- Mélanie Nylund, lawyer, Riopelle Group
How eState Planner transformed their practice
While Melanie was initially reluctant to switch from a system she knew inside and out, the benefits of eState Planner quickly became clear. The modern, intuitive interface–combined with ongoing training to support users–made it easier for the staff to learn.
The interactive client intake process and real-time alerts also significantly reduced the risk of errors. Most importantly, it gave the firm a foundation for growth, allowing them to take on more estate planning work while keeping the quality high.
Flexible document options
In order to stay on top of client needs, the team uses eState Planner's adaptable document system. The software offers both comprehensive and simplified versions of estate planning documents. Plus, it adds corporate will capabilities that the old system lacked.
eState Planner's users can generate documents with custom clauses, including wills, POAs, and more.
This flexibility has transformed how they serve clients. "Clients do find the documents long, which is why I tend to favour the short version," Melanie explains. The ability to choose document length based on client preference helps them better meet diverse client needs while maintaining consistency.
Better, more efficient client communications
To improve client communication efficiency, Riopelle Group uses eState Planner's reporting letter function. "I love the reporting letter function," she shares, noting how it replaces the time-consuming process of drafting explanatory letters from scratch.
The ability to communicate with clients like this has improved their efficiency. With less time spent on back-and-forth correspondence, the team can focus on more valuable client face-time. "I can do a lot more volume," Melanie notes, "which gives me more freedom to be selective with potential clients or spend more in-person time with clients."
I can do a lot more volume, which gives me more freedom to be selective with potential clients or spend more in-person time with clients.
- Mélanie Nylund, lawyer, Riopelle Group
Continuous learning support
To maintain its expertise, the firm takes advantage of eState Planner's educational resources. "One of the biggest values is the weekly access to webinars," Melanie emphasizes, contrasting this with other will-building software's lack of training support.
These regular learning opportunities have strengthened their practice. "Those have been so helpful to go over a lot of best practices for estate planning," she adds. The ongoing education helps them stay current with industry trends and provide better service to their clients.
Ready for future growth
For Melanie and her team, switching to eState Planner has done more than just solve their immediate challenges. The efficiency gains have given them room to grow, while the consistent quality gives them the confidence to take on more complex estate planning work.
"Because the precedents are set, my assistants make a lot less errors," Melanie reflects. "I actually can review and work on more will files than before because the documents are consistent and I'm more confident in the drafting that my assistant produces."
Time to modernize your estate planning practice
Ready to elevate your practice? Book a demo to see how eState Planner can improve your estate planning practice.
