12 strategies that actually work to find estate planning clients
The most effective way to get estate planning clients is to create educational content that answers the specific questions people search for before they realize they need an attorney. Questions like “what happens if you die without a will” or “how to avoid probate”, rather than targeting bottom-funnel terms like “estate planning lawyer near me.”
Your best estate planning client found you months before they hired you. They bookmarked your article on trust administration after someone mentioned “avoiding probate,” ignored it for six months, then frantically searched their browser history when they got named executor. What kept you memorable wasn’t your SEO, it was explaining what actually happens when someone dies without a trust instead of generic “protect your family” copy.
This guide covers twelve proven methods for attracting estate planning clients: building referral pipelines through financial advisors, creating content that earns trust over months, and nurturing leads through long sales cycles. You’ll learn which strategies fit your practice and how to implement them without wasting time on tactics that don’t convert.
1. Build referral partnerships with financial professionals
Financial advisors refer estate planning work when you solve problems that reflect poorly on them. When a client dies without using their estate tax exemption, the advisor needs someone who can explain portability elections to the widow without adding to an already difficult situation.
Show them that you understand the needs of their clients. Send advisors things they can use with their clients like checklists or how-to guides. Give them the tools to answer the question “Why do I need estate planning separate and in addition to wealth planning?” Include specific examples of the types of issues you have solved for clients.
For example, a clear a decision tree can illustrate when an attorney is a must:
- If net worth is close to estate tax limit → introduce attorney for gift planning.
- If a second marriage with kids from the first → introduce an attorney regardless of asset level.
- If a business owner → introduces an attorney to discuss the business succession plan.
Most advisors know their clients need estate planning. They just don’t know how to bring it up without sounding like they’re creating work for their network. Give them language that positions you as the technical expert solving a problem they’ve spotted.
2. Host educational workshops and webinars
Most workshops waste time. You’ll spend six hours preparing, present to 40 people, collect 12 email addresses, and convert one client who was going to hire you anyway.
Workshops that work target immediate fears. “Special Needs Trust Planning” works because parents are terrified of what happens to their disabled child after they die. “Estate Planning for Second Marriages” works because people want to prevent their kids and new spouse from fighting over the house.
Spend 15 minutes on trust basics, 45 minutes on “how to tell your kids from your first marriage that your new spouse gets the house.” Family dynamics are why people hire attorneys instead of using online forms.
3. Develop relationships with real estate and family law attorneys
Attorney referrals work differently than financial advisor referrals. Family law attorneys see divorce clients who need updated estate plans because previously simple situations now involve ex-spouses, new partners, and stepchildren from multiple marriages.
Skip generic “please refer to me” letters. Instead, create specific resources: a checklist for divorce attorneys covering beneficiary designations, guardianship designations, and revocable trust amendments, or a guide for real estate attorneys showing when property transfers require estate plan updates.
Attorney referrals convert at high rates because the referring attorney has already established trust. When a divorce attorney tells their client “you need to update your estate plan,” that client is ready to act. These relationships develop slowly. Start by offering value, not asking for referrals.
4. Use email nurture sequences to stay top of mind
Estate planning prospects convert slowly. Someone who downloads your guide today might not schedule a consultation for another year. Your email frequency needs to match that timeline. If you send too often, you may burn out your list before prospects are ready to hire.
Space messages every few weeks and assume you’ll need at least a dozen touchpoints. After that point, segment based on engagement: people who consistently open your emails get an invitation to schedule; everyone else gets moved to a quarterly digest. Most firms burn out their lists by sending weekly emails to people who aren’t ready yet.
Your emails should address specific objections:
- Why people think they’re too young for estate planning
- How to bring it up with aging parents
- What happens to digital assets
Each email should stand alone. Assume people won’t remember what you sent last month.
5. Create content that answers real client questions
People would rather read 2,000 words than call an attorney and admit they don’t know the difference between a will and a trust.
Write articles that answer embarrassing questions:
- “What happens if I die without a will and we aren’t married?”
- “Can my sister contest my trust if I leave everything to my spouse?”
- “Do I really need to retitle my house into my trust?”
Write for people Googling at midnight after their friend mentioned probate horror stories. Your article about 2024 exemption amounts will need constant updates. Your article explaining what trustees do? That’s evergreen.
6. Optimize for local and long-tail searches
Most clients hire locally. Optimize your website for geographic-specific searches that show real intent:
- “Estate planning attorney for young families in [city]”
- “Living trust lawyer near [neighborhood]”
Skip creating pages for areas you rarely serve just to chase traffic. Go deep on communities where you actually practice. Write about the probate court in that county, common estate planning concerns for that area’s demographics, and local estate tax rules if they apply.
Update your Google Business Profile with specific service descriptions. “Estate planning attorney” alone is too vague. Instead, add “living trusts,” “special needs planning,” and “estate tax planning” as distinct services. Ask clients to mention specific services in their reviews when possible.
7. Run targeted pay-per-click campaigns for high-intent searches
Paid search for estate planning services usually struggles. Clicks are expensive, and most searchers aren’t ready to hire. They’re still figuring out whether they need an estate plan at all.
Target phrases that signal readiness like “set up a living trust” or “update my will after divorce.” Your ad copy should address specific concerns rather than generic appeals. “Blended family estate planning in [city]—protect both spouses and all children” performs better than “Protect your family’s future with an experienced estate planning attorney.”
If you run search ads, send traffic to dedicated landing pages that match the search exactly. Someone searching “set up a living trust” shouldn’t land on your homepage. They should hit a page about living trusts with clear next steps. Put attorney bios and testimonials on every landing page. People won’t share contact information without trust signals.
8. Retarget website visitors with educational offers
Most visitors browse your site and leave without contacting you. Retarget them with specific offers: a free estate plan review or a downloadable guide. They’ve already shown interest; remarketing keeps your name visible while they continue deliberating. A modest remarketing budget typically outperforms a larger spend on cold search traffic
Examples include:
- “Free Estate Planning Checklist for Families”
- “Download our Guide to Protecting Your Parents’ Assets”
This keeps you visible to people who already know your name until they’re ready to book a consultation.
9. Build trust through reviews and testimonials
The reviews that convert describe your communication style, not just outcomes.
“Very professional. Would recommend.” tells prospects nothing.
Reviews that convert mention specific anxieties:
- “I was embarrassed. I’m 54 with no estate plan. He didn’t make me feel judged.”
- “My siblings were fighting about the executor. She helped us talk without blowing up the family.”
- “I thought I needed a $5,000 trust. He explained why a simple will would work and saved me money.”
That third one is gold. It signals you won’t oversell them into expensive packages. Ask clients: “Would you mind mentioning what specific concern you had before we met?”
10. Offer free mini-audits or estate planning reviews
Free estate plan reviews work because they attract people who already acted: they used a will creation company or had something drafted years ago. These prospects are further along than someone starting from scratch. You’re not convincing them they need estate planning; you’re showing them their current plan has gaps.
Most DIY documents have problems: missing signature witnesses, unclear trustee succession, and wrong beneficiary designations. Finding these problems during a free review opens the door to paid services. The offer doesn’t work as well for prospects with zero documents who want general advice. Those conversations rarely convert because they’re still in research mode.
Structure the review as a contained service: you’ll examine what they already have and identify specific problems, but you won’t draft new documents during the free session. Make the scope clear upfront so prospects understand the boundary between the free and paid work.
11. Use paid social to target life events
Social media lets you target people during major life transitions: recently married, expecting a child, nearing retirement. These targeting options work because estate planning connects to life changes.
Your ad copy should acknowledge the timing without being pushy. “Planning for your growing family” works better with new parents than “Don’t leave your children unprotected.” The tone matters; you’re offering guidance during a natural planning moment, not fear-mongering about worst-case scenarios.
Link to educational resources rather than hard sales pages. Someone seeing your ad for the first time isn’t ready to schedule a consultation. Offer a guide, checklist, or short article that addresses their immediate question. Capture contact information in exchange for the resource, then nurture those leads over time through email.
12. Track results and automate follow-ups
Track every lead source through to retained clients, not just scheduled consultations. Webinar attendees might book appointments but ghost you before signing engagement letters. Attorney referrals might book less frequently but convert to paying clients at much higher rates. Most firms optimize for meetings scheduled and miss the more important metric: who actually becomes a client.
Set up your tracking to attribute revenue, not just contacts. Your best marketing channel is whichever one brings in clients who pay you and complete their estate plans, even if that channel generates fewer initial leads than others. Some sources look productive early in the funnel but don’t convert to actual business.
Use automation tools for consistent follow-up with prospects who aren’t ready yet. Someone who downloaded your guide six months ago should get a check-in. Attended a webinar but didn’t book? Follow up quarterly.These touches feel repetitive to you but aren’t repetitive to prospects who have dozens of other things on their mind.
How FirmPilot helps estate planning firms attract more clients
Estate planning marketing works best when it blends education, trust, and timing. You are not convincing people to buy; you are showing them why planning now matters. Whether you focus on referral relationships, content marketing, or automation, consistency matters most.
FirmPilot gives estate planning attorneys the tools to attract, nurture, and convert more clients without spending hours on manual follow-up or tracking spreadsheets.
Our platform automates the repetitive parts of marketing so you can stay focused on client relationships:
- AI-driven keyword research: Identify high-value terms your potential clients actually use and craft authoritative content that boosts your rankings.
- Authoritative content generation: Build visibility and trust with potential clients who need months of touchpoints before deciding.
- Real-time performance tracking: See which channels actually bring in paying clients and where to double down.
FirmPilot’s tools let you scale your estate planning practice with a consistent, client-first approach. Book a demo today and see how automation turns awareness into signed engagement letters.