• March 28, 2024
 An Increase In Client Demand Leads Arken To Add Advance Decisions To Its Document Generating Software

An Increase In Client Demand Leads Arken To Add Advance Decisions To Its Document Generating Software

Whereas a Will enables people to make express decisions to let other people administer their property after they have died, sometimes it is desirable to give binding instructions while still living in order to establish in advance control of what will happen in relation to property or physical care should mental or physical capacity become significantly impaired to the extent that decisions cannot be made independently.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) appoints a trusted person (the attorney) to act on behalf of another person (the donor). The donor must have capacity to make the LPA and can revoke it at will while he or she retains capacity. An LPA can deal with a person’s property but can also deal with their wishes concerning their health and welfare. There are, however, situations where a person will want to make more direct, specific and legally binding instructions directly to their medical professional – and in this situation, they would need to make an Advance Decision (AD).

Arken.legal (UK) Ltd has just added Advance Decisions to its range of estate planning documentation as Samantha Warner, Senior Legal Advisor at Arken, explains:

“A large number of Arken users have contacted us over the last 6 or 7 months asking if we would produce an Advance Decision as their clients have requested them. As always at Arken, we have expanded on the original request and we now offer different options within an Advance Decision and have added the opportunity for them to work in tandem with LPAs, cover organ donation and specifically for pregnant women”.

Users of Arken can now access Advance Decision as part of their user subscription and can choose from 4 different types of AD:-

  • General Advance Decision: a decision not to prolong life unnecessarily where there is no prospect of recovery or to give treatment where the burdens outweigh the benefits, but to receive palliative care;
  • Advance Decision Defining an Intolerable Condition: specifies that if a person is suffering from particular conditions, they do not wish to receive life sustaining treatment;
  • Advance Decision Defining Maximum Treatment: specifies that a person wishes to be kept alive no matter what the treatment or chances of recovery; and
  • Advance Decision Specifying Treatment Preferences: specifies the treatments that may be given if there is a chance of improvement and recovery and treatment preference if the prognosis is terminal.

Arken also allows for instructions to be given in respect of organ donation, with notes of any family sensitivities to this to be taken into account. It is possible to specify next of kin details (and substitute next of kin) with full contact details so that it is simple to contact people in the case of emergency. It is a highly practical document, allowing people to specify exactly which medical professionals that they wish to have involved in their care, together with contact details so that giving effect to the wishes contained in the document is more likely to be possible in life or death situations.

Women making Advance Decisions may wish to consider the situation where they become ill or injured with no chance of recovery but are pregnant. Arken allows for the creation of an Advance Decision that provides for treatment to be given to allow for the safe delivery of the child but is to come into effect thereafter. Most eventualities can be covered by the Advance Decision questionnaire, but to the extent that a person wishes to make further specific instructions that are not covered by the standard set of questions, there is an easy free-type box to address any further matters.

Samantha continues:

“Advance Decisions are a really good option for those concerned about their future medical needs, and we are really pleased to provide this for our clients. They can produce an Advance Decision in minutes within Arken and this document type sits well alongside Wills, LPAs, Expression of Wishes and Severance of Joint Tenancy options.”

This article was submitted to be published by Arken.legal as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.

Arken.legal

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  Transforming the global estate planning industry through advanced technology Arken.legal provides expert digital solutions for the private client and estate planning industry. Its solutions deliver business efficiencies and consistency across a practice, while enabling client acquisition through an improved customer experience. Built by private client solicitors, Arken.legal products are used by more than 500 firms including Legal practices, Accountancy practices, Will writers and Legal services businesses in the UK, as well as Trust companies in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. With 29 years' experience and more than 6 million Wills having been created using its products, today Arken.legal is a software as a service business offering secure, cloud-based solutions. The Arken Product Suite Businesses are turning to technology to enable change, increase efficiency and futureproof their incomes to suit upcoming generations and demand. The Arken product suite is designed for just this – to maximise productivity, provide interactivity and lead generation, and manage risk. It can suit any business process – whether instructions are taken virtually, in an office, remotely or via telephone. For increased efficiency, reduced re-keying and a delighted client, book a demonstration today to find out how we can help your practice. Key Services Arken Professional: A comprehensive, up-to-date and secure document generation solution built specifically for the Private Client Sector. Built by lawyers, its industry-leading software has produced over 6 million Wills. Arken Professional is the only software solution specialising in Wills that is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). All the products on this scheme have satisfied a robust technical evaluation and are from companies that are financially sound and offer strong customer support, giving you that extra peace of mind. Arken Intestacy: The new way to increase leads and grow your business remotely.  A handy customisable tool for your website that demonstrates the circumstances if your prospective client were to die without a Will – they can then fill in their details and ask for you to help protect their estate. Arken Online Wills: A secure, online Will service. Will packs – which include a client’s Will, a Will commentary, and signing instructions – can be sent to the client immediately or reviewed before delivery. Arken Acquire: A digital fact find and lead generation tool. A tool that captures data from your clients, which is then used in the drafting of key estate planning documents. Simply email a link to your client and they can input key information that seamlessly flows into Arken Professional for drafting. Arken Lifetime: Create Inter Vivos Trusts in a fraction of the time. Trust Referencer: Get the latest on tax treatments and specific Trusts. Access the most up-to-date information to generate a personalised report for your clients, outlining the tax treatment that are relevant to both Testamentary and Inter Vivos Trusts. Arken Anywhere: The power of Arken on-the-move. Access an offline version of Arken Professional that will synchronise with your account once you’re back online. Arken API: A seamless transfer of data and reduction of re-keying. Details shared between your case management solution and Arken Professional.       Dave Newick, Chief Executive Officer of Arken.legal, said:
“We work in partnership with our clients to understand their key processes and provide the most efficient digital solutions for their Private Client business. The industry has begun its digitisation journey – it’s time to consider the best route within it for your business. Can you use technology to be more adaptable, more engaged, to provide a better customer experience? Can you use technology to automate low-level tasks, enabling you to focus on what really matters? It’s time to take the digital leap and benefit from the efficiencies it provides.”

          Testimonials Sophie Yates, Director, Fodens Solicitors Limited
“Arken is an absolutely fantastic tool. It is extremely easy to use and has helped our practices in Will drafting to a huge extent. I could not be without it now. I would recommend to any legal specialist looking to invest in Will writing software. Very cost effective too.”
Gemma Garen, Director of Quality and Compliance, Ellisons Solicitors
“We did a careful review of available solutions and chose Arken, as it has a very user-friendly and intuitive user experience, helped us with an improvement in our working practices, introduced time efficiencies and facilitated our ability to standardise our processes and mitigate our risks. The support team at Arken are excellent – very responsive and invested time to understand our needs. We had extensive support before and after going live. Arken is very easy to use, the templates are consistent and we have reliable support.”
Craig Webb, Head of Legal Operations, Brethertons LLP
“…Our staff have found Will drafting in Arken very easy to use and enjoy the questionnaire format which guides them through the process from beginning to end. It is very reassuring to know that our lawyers are all following the same process, producing Wills with a good level of consistency and that all clauses used are up to date. Preparing ‘mirror’ Wills is now particularly easy using Arken, and the systems’ intelligence to amend third person singular pronouns (he, she, his, hers), has eradicated these type of typographical mistakes. We have recently added Arken Acquire to our subscription and are looking forward to the further streamlining of our processes that this service can offer.”
Matthew Field, Director, SMR Solicitors
“We have found Arken to be a valuable tool for our private client team in terms of efficiency and consistency and we would highly recommend it to law firms looking for a professional solution.”
Eric Britt, Executive Consultant, Integrity Wills & Legal Services
"I have been using Arken Will writing software for a number of years, and have found it excellent, and easy to use. The support from the office has been exceptional whenever I have needed it, with a quick response and great patience at times. I would certainly recommend the software and also the company without any hesitation."
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