Online will platforms are growing - including in the charity sector. They suit some clients, but they are not designed for people with complex estates, blended families, business interests, or capacity considerations. And they are not a substitute for independent legal advice.
The Planned Giving Platform keeps solicitors at the centre of ethical bequest giving. We connect Wills & Estates firms with charity supporters who are actively considering updating their Will - and we do it through a professional, managed referral pathway that protects clients, charities, and your firm.
What the referral looks like
A supporter visits their charity's website and finds a solicitor finder tool embedded within the charity's Gifts in Wills pages. They browse participating firms, select one, and request an initial consultation. You receive a notification and proceed in the normal way.
The charity funds a fixed contribution towards the initial consultation fee. Any further work is quoted and paid directly by the client. There is no obligation on the client to include a charitable bequest, and your professional duty is to them alone
See the tool your referrals come through
This is a demonstration of the solicitor finder tool. The network shown includes development listings - not all firms displayed are current partners. To discuss joining the live network, contact us.
This is what a supporter sees when they visit a participating charity's website. Your firm's name, location, and contact details appear in a professionally managed directory alongside other vetted practices. The tool is embedded within the charity's own site - supporters experience it as part of their existing relationship with the charity, not as a third-party redirect.
What we ask of participating firms
Very little, by design.
For each referral that proceeds to a completed consultation, we ask you to complete a short outcome form through your solicitor dashboard. This records whether the will was completed and, where the client has given explicit consent, whether a charitable bequest was included. No personal client information is shared with any charity without that consent.
There is no cost to join the Platform, no volume commitment, and no exclusivity requirement. Firms may withdraw at any time.
Why solicitors join
The referrals are warm. Supporters who come through the Platform have already expressed an intention to update their Will and chosen your firm specifically. That is a meaningfully different starting point from a cold enquiry.
The model is ethically sound. Every aspect of the Platform is designed around supporter choice and independent advice. There is no script, no expectation of a charitable outcome, and no pressure of any kind on your client. Your firm's professional integrity is protected by the structure of the model itself.
It positions your firm well. Participation signals that your practice is engaged with the broader community of estate planning - not just transactional will-writing. For firms that value their reputation in the not-for-profit and philanthropic space, that association has real value.
The administrative burden is minimal. A short online form per completed consultation is the sum of what we ask. The platform handles everything else - charity relationships, supporter communications, reporting, and billing.
The charity network
The Platform currently operates with five founding charity partners - WWF Australia, Cancer Council NSW, Cancer Council VIC, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT - with additional charities joining ahead of national expansion. Each is an established organisation with an active gifts in wills programme and an existing base of engaged supporters.
The referral pipeline grows as the charity network grows. Firms that join now are positioned ahead of that expansion.
There is no cost to join and no long-term commitment required.
To find our more register your interest or book a call.
