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Probate client portal for solicitors: executors in Clio

Executors send documents and messages through Clio for Clients instead of post and email, straight onto the estate file. From about $105£79€94A$152C$149 a user a month.

At a glance

  • What it costs$210£158€188A$303C$297 a month

  • Worth, in extra profit or time saved in the worked example$319£240€286A$461C$451 a month

  • Pays for itselfWithin the month

  • Connecting two tools or some setup timeSome setup needed

Figures come from the worked example below, using its stated assumptions. Tool prices checked . How we check prices

The problem

Executors send death certificates, bank letters and valuations by post and email, and ring to ask what is happening, and every item has to be scanned, saved and noted. If a firm has 20 open estates and that takes 45 minutes per estate a month, that's 900 minutes, 15 hours a month.

What the AI does

Clio is practice management software for law firms. Every plan includes Clio for Clients, a secure client portal and mobile app with secure messaging and document sharing, so executors upload documents and send messages that land on the estate's matter rather than in someone's inbox. The fee earner replies from the matter, and every exchange stays on the file. The portal doesn't replace advice: questions about tax, distribution or disputes go to the solicitor.

A worked example

A two-fee-earner probate team in Norwich runs about 20 estates at a time and moves its matters to Clio Core. New executors are invited to Clio for Clients at the start, and the team still accepts post from executors who prefer it.

Before

45 minutes per estate a month on posted and emailed documents and status calls: 15 hours

After

An assumed 6 hours a month saved, with documents and messages arriving on the matter

What it's worth

About $319£240€286A$461C$451 a month of staff time, if it is worth $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour and the portal saves an assumed 6 of the 15 hours. Clio Core is from $105£79€94A$152C$149 per user a month, so $210£158€188A$303C$297 for two fee earners. That leaves about $109£82€98A$157C$154 a month, so it pays back as part of choosing a case system; on its own the portal isn't worth switching for.

How to set it up

  1. Book a Clio demo and ask for written pricing for Core, the contract term and where UK firms' data is hosted.
  2. Set up a probate matter template listing the documents you always need from executors.
  3. Invite each executor to Clio for Clients at the start, with a short guide and a phone number for anyone who gets stuck.
  4. Agree a reply time for portal messages and tell executors what it is.
  5. Have the fee earner review every uploaded document, and route any question that needs advice to the solicitor.

What goes wrong

  • Only the executors you act for are your clients; beneficiaries are not. Give portal access only to the people you act for.
  • Some executors won't use a portal. Keep post and phone as normal routes so nobody is left behind.
  • Clio's price is per user, and the pricing page doesn't say whether $105£79€94A$152C$149 is the monthly or annual price or whether it includes VAT. Get a written quote.
  • Portal messages are part of the file. Apply your retention policy to them as you would to letters.

More ideas for Wills and probate solicitors

Claude for probate solicitors: digest the will and papers

Upload the will, codicils and estate papers in one chat for a gift table and draft asset schedule to check. From about $40£30€36A$58C$56 a month for 2 users.

  • Costs $40–51£30–38€36–45A$58–73C$56–71/mo
  • Worth $718£540€643A$1,037C$1,015/mo
  • Pays for itself in a few days
  • Easy to set up

Will attendance notes for solicitors with SpeechLive

Dictate after each will meeting and SpeechLive's Legal AI Assistant drafts the attendance note for the solicitor to check. From about $53£40€48A$77C$75 a user a month.

  • Costs $106–153£80–115€95–137A$154–221C$150–216/mo
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Online will questionnaire for solicitors before the meeting

Clients fill in a will instruction questionnaire on Jotform before the first meeting, with data held on EU servers. From about $39£29€35A$56C$55 a month.

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Will review reminders for solicitors: emails with Brevo

Past will clients get an email reminding them to review their will, sent to Brevo segments by the year it was signed. From about $16£12€14A$23C$23 a month.

  • Costs $16–33£12–25€14–30A$23–48C$23–47/mo
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  • Pays for itself in a few days
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Will quote calculator for solicitors: prices at any hour

A Hoowla quote calculator on your website gives will and LPA prices at any hour and alerts you to each new lead. From about $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month.

  • Costs $20–24£15–18€18–21A$29–35C$28–34/mo
  • Worth $426£320€381A$614C$602/mo
  • Pays for itself in a few days
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Plain-English guides for executors from probate solicitors

Draft a plain-English guide to the probate process for each type of estate with an AI assistant, then check it. Free, or up to about $27£20€24A$38C$38 a month.

  • Costs Free–$27Free–£20Free–€24Free–A$38Free–C$38/mo
  • Worth $319£240€286A$461C$451/mo
  • Pays for itself in a few days
  • Easy to set up

Last updated October 17, 2026.