A matter that runs for two years and holds somebody else's money
Probate files stay open long after the fee earner who opened them has moved on, and they hold estate money throughout. Writford keeps the dates, the money and the decisions on the matter rather than in somebody's head.
What should probate case management software do?
It should hold a matter open for years without losing its history, track the estate money on the client account, and keep every date and decision on the file rather than with one fee earner. Writford does all three, with client ledgers and statements built in.
- Can Writford handle a matter open for several years?
- Yes. Matters carry their full history, and audit records are retained for six years, so a file opened today is still complete when it closes.
- How is estate money tracked?
- On the client ledger for that matter, with opening and closing balances and a printable client statement, separate from the firm's own money throughout.
- Can I hold back part of an estate?
- Yes. Amounts held against a liability or undertaking can be ring-fenced on the matter so they show apart from freely available client money.
- What happens when the fee earner leaves?
- Nothing is lost. Notes, dates and correspondence are on the matter, not in a personal folder or calendar, so the file is reassigned rather than rebuilt.
- Does it handle the interest owed on estate money?
- Yes. Interest due to a client is reported from what you actually held and settled one matter at a time.
The file outlives the fee earner
A probate matter can run for two years or more. Notes, decisions, correspondence and dates live on the matter, so a handover is opening the file rather than reconstructing it from an inbox.
Estate money on the client account
Money held for an estate sits on the client ledger with opening and closing balances stated, and a client statement prints straight from it when a beneficiary asks where things stand.
Ring-fence what is not free to distribute
Sums held back against a liability or an undertaking are marked as such on the matter, so nothing is distributed by accident before the position is clear.
Dates that nobody has to remember
Key dates belong to the matter rather than a personal calendar, and sync to Outlook both ways, so a deadline survives leave, illness and staff changes.