What Does Estate Planning Training Cover? Full Curriculum Guide

The 5 Core Areas of Estate Planning Training

If you're researching estate planning training, you're probably wondering: What will I actually learn? Will it be enough to work with real clients?

Here's the honest breakdown of what comprehensive estate planning training covers—and what it should cover if it doesn't.

Let me break down each area in detail, so you know exactly what you'll learn.

Module 1: Legal Knowledge (What You Need to Know)

This is the foundation—the legal knowledge that makes you competent to advise clients.

Wills Law

You'll learn:

• What makes a will legally valid – Signature requirements, witness rules, testamentary capacity
• How assets pass – Residue, pecuniary legacies, specific gifts, joint ownership rules
• Intestacy rules – What happens when someone dies without a will (so you can explain why clients need one)
• Executor duties and powers – What executors can and can't do
• Guardian appointments – How to properly appoint guardians for minor children
• Common will clauses – Survivorship clauses, age contingencies, discretionary trusts
• When to use mirror wills – And when not to

Trusts (Property Protection)

You'll learn:

• Property protection trusts – How to protect a home from care costs and second marriages
• Life interest trusts – Giving someone the right to live in a property without owning it
• Discretionary trusts – When and why to use them
• Bare trusts for children – Setting aside assets for grandchildren
• Trust taxation basics – What clients need to know (without becoming a tax advisor)
• When to refer to a solicitor – Complex trust scenarios beyond your scope

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs)

You'll learn:

• Two types of LPAs – Property & Finance vs Health & Welfare
• How to properly execute LPAs – Signature order, certificate providers, witness requirements
• When LPAs can be used – Immediately vs when capacity is lost
• Choosing attorneys – Joint, joint & several, or replacement attorneys
• Common mistakes to avoid – The errors that get LPAs rejected by the Office of the Public Guardian
• Registration process – How to submit LPAs to OPG

Inheritance Tax Basics

You'll learn:

• The nil-rate band – Currently £325,000 per person
• Residence nil-rate band – Extra £175,000 allowance for passing a home to children/grandchildren
• Spouse exemption – Why married couples can pass assets tax-free
• 7-year rule for gifts – Potentially exempt transfers
• When to suggest IHT planning – And when to refer to a specialist
• How to explain IHT to clients – In plain English, not accountant-speak

Probate Overview

You'll learn:

• What probate is – And why it's needed
• The executor's role – So you can draft wills that give clear guidance
• Assets that bypass probate – Joint accounts, life insurance with named beneficiaries, etc.
• Whether to offer probate services – Many estate planners do; it's complementary income

Module 2: Practical Skills (Learning by Doing)

Legal knowledge is useless without practical application. This is where you learn to actually do the work.

Document Drafting with Software

You'll learn:

• How to use professional will-writing software – We teach Willo (and include 2 months free)
• Creating different will types – Simple wills, mirror wills, property protection trusts, life interest trusts
• Drafting LPAs – Using the software to complete OPG-compliant forms
• Quality checking documents – Spotting errors before clients sign
• Producing final documents – Professional formatting, binding, delivery

Practice Client Scenarios

Good training includes realistic scenarios you'll work through:

• Simple couple – Married, 2 kids, straightforward estate
• Blended family – Second marriage, kids from previous relationships, property protection needed
• Single parent – Minor children, guardian appointments, trust for kids
• Elderly client – LPA urgency, possible capacity concerns, care cost planning
• Business owner – Protecting business assets, succession planning basics
• Unmarried couple – Cohabitation issues, no automatic inheritance rights

You'll draft documents for each scenario and get feedback on your work.

Templates and Checklists

You'll receive ready-to-use resources:

• Client questionnaires – What to ask in initial consultations
• Engagement letters – Contracts you'll use with clients
• Fee schedules – Pricing guidance for different services
• Instruction checklists – Making sure you've gathered all necessary information
• Post-signing guidance – Instructions for clients about storing wills, registering LPAs, etc.

Module 3: Client Management (The Human Side)

Estate planning isn't just paperwork—it's deeply personal work. You need to know how to have difficult conversations with real people.

Conducting Client Consultations

You'll learn:

• How to structure a first meeting – Introduction, fact-finding, recommendations, pricing
• What questions to ask – And what questions to avoid
• How to explain complex concepts – Trusts, IHT, intestacy in language clients understand
• Active listening skills – Understanding what clients actually need vs what they think they need
• Taking good notes – Accurately capturing client instructions
• Setting expectations – Timeline, process, what happens next

Handling Difficult Conversations

You'll learn:

• Discussing death – Many clients are uncomfortable; you need to be comfortable for them
• Navigating family dynamics – Adult children who disagree, second marriages, disinheritance
• Capacity concerns – What to do if you suspect a client lacks capacity
• Undue influence – Recognizing when someone might be pressuring a client
• Breaking bad news – "Your estate will face £200k in inheritance tax" conversations
• When to say no – Turning down clients or situations outside your expertise

Professional Boundaries

You'll learn:

• Conflicts of interest – When you can't act for both parties
• Confidentiality rules – What you can and can't share
• Professional distance – Being empathetic without becoming emotionally involved
• Documentation requirements – What you legally must record and keep

Module 4: Business Setup (The Practical Stuff)

You're not just learning estate planning—you're learning to run a business. Good training covers the business side too.

Legal and Compliance Requirements

You'll learn:

• Setting up as self-employed – Sole trader vs limited company
• Professional indemnity insurance – What you need and where to get it (typically £150-300/year)
• Data protection (GDPR) – How to handle client information legally
• Money laundering regulations – Yes, these apply to you; here's how to comply
• Record-keeping requirements – What documents to keep and for how long
• Client money rules – How to handle payments properly

Pricing Your Services

You'll learn:

• What to charge – Market rates for wills, LPAs, trusts (£150-600 per will typically)
• Fixed fees vs hourly rates – Why fixed fees work better for estate planning
• How to present pricing – Without undervaluing yourself or scaring clients away
• Bundling services – Pricing mirror wills + LPAs as a package
• Handling price objections – "I can get a will online for £50"

Admin Systems and Workflows

You'll learn:

• Client onboarding process – From first contact to signed engagement letter
• File management – Organizing client documents securely
• Scheduling and calendar management – Booking consultations, follow-ups
• Invoicing and payment – When to take payment, what systems to use
• Email templates – Communication templates that save time

Module 5: Marketing & Getting Clients (Making It Sustainable)

This is where many training courses fail. They teach you estate planning but not how to actually get clients. Good training includes:

Marketing Strategies That Actually Work

You'll learn:

• Your first 5 clients – Start with friends, family, colleagues (practice on people who already trust you)
• Building a referral network – Financial advisors, accountants, funeral directors
• Google My Business – Setting up local SEO so people find you
• Website basics – What you need on your site (simpler than you think)
• Content marketing – Writing helpful articles that attract clients
• Social media strategy – What works (and what's a waste of time)
• Networking events – Business groups, community events, retirement seminars
• Paid advertising – When it makes sense and when it doesn't

Converting Enquiries to Clients

You'll learn:

• How to answer the phone – First impressions matter
• Email response templates – Professional, warm, gets meetings booked
• Free consultation vs paid – What works better for estate planning
• Closing the sale – Moving from "interested" to "let's do this"
• Handling objections – "I need to think about it," "That's more than I expected," etc.

Building Long-Term Referrals

You'll learn:

• Creating a client experience worth referring – It's not just competence; it's how you make people feel
• When and how to ask for referrals – Without being pushy
• Staying top of mind – Newsletters, check-ins, annual review offers
• Building professional referral relationships – The right way to approach financial advisors, accountants, solicitors

What Estate Planning Training DOESN'T Cover (And Shouldn't)

To set realistic expectations, here's what you won't learn in estate planning training:

• Advanced tax planning – You'll learn basics, but complex IHT mitigation is for specialists
• Contentious probate – Disputing wills is solicitor territory
• International estate planning – Assets in multiple countries require specialist knowledge
• Business valuation – For business owners with complex assets
• Trusts for tax avoidance schemes – Legally risky and beyond scope
• Court of Protection work – Deputyship applications when someone loses capacity

You're training to be an estate planner, not a solicitor. You'll learn to recognize situations beyond your scope and refer them appropriately. That's not a limitation—it's professionalism.

How Long Does It Take to Cover All This?

Comprehensive estate planning training typically takes 6-8 weeks if you're studying part-time (10-15 hours per week).

Some courses cram it into 2-3 days. Honestly? That's not enough time to absorb everything and practice it. You'll leave with a certificate but not competence.

Our training is structured like this:

But remember: training doesn't end at Week 8. You'll have questions when you take your first real client. That's where ongoing support matters.

Theory vs Practical: What's the Balance?

Bad training is 90% theory, 10% practical. You'll know the law but not how to actually help clients.

Good training is 40% theory, 60% practical.

Here's what that looks like:

You should finish training having already drafted multiple wills, completed LPAs, practiced consultations, and created your marketing materials. Not just "learned about" them—actually done them.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing Training

Now that you know what training should cover, here are the questions to ask any provider:

The Bottom Line

Comprehensive estate planning training should cover:

1. Legal knowledge – Wills, trusts, LPAs, tax, probate basics
2. Practical skills – Software training, document drafting, real scenarios
3. Client management – Consultations, difficult conversations, boundaries
4. Business setup – Insurance, compliance, pricing, systems
5. Marketing – Getting your first clients and building sustainable income

If any of these 5 areas is missing, you're getting incomplete training.

The best training is 60% practical, includes software, provides ongoing support, and teaches you not just estate planning but how to build an estate planning business.

That's what you should expect. That's what you deserve.

Want to know more? Read our guide on how long estate planning training takes or compare online vs in-person training.