The Estate Planner’s Podcast

Hosted by antonybrinkman

Business Education

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Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

This is a podcast series for Will Writers, Estate Planners and Solicitors that are interested in learning the tips, tools and technicalities to best help their clients. It covers all aspects to the Estate Planners functions including the client appointment, follow-up, drafting, attestations, registrations and concluding the service. It will explore key cases and look at client case studies for wills, trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney and probate. The aim of the podcast is to help practitioners to enhance their knowledge and skills so that the vitally important services we provide can be delivered to the highest standards for the general public. The series is presented by Antony Brinkman, who started as a will writer in 1999. In addition to running his own company, he is a tutor at the College of Will Writing and currently holds the position of chair of the Professional Standards Board for the Society of Will Writers and Estate Planning Practitioners.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 31, 2026Episode 8026 min

Coping With Chaos

After a long absence, the podcast has returned. Having coped with some significant challenges in the last three months, this episodes shares a few of the lessons I have learned.

May 25, 2026Episode 7917 min

For Want of a Nail

You have probably heard the proverb "For Want of a Nail", that illustrates the importance of dealing with the little details that can otherwise snowball into major situations. In this episode, we look at how that principle applies to Estate Planning.

May 5, 2026Episode 7813 min

Abatement

This episode looks at what happens when there is not enough money in the estate to pay out the gifts in the Will. Understanding this can help us structure the Will in such a way that the client's wishes are achieved.

April 19, 2026Episode 7714 min

The Power of Acknowledgement

Probably our most imporant skill that we employ with clients is the skill of communication. One element of that skill is the acknowledgment of a client's answer to a question. This episode looks at some of the mistakes that can be made with acknowledgements.

April 4, 2026Episode 7615 min

The Caparo Test and White v Jones

What is the extent of our duty of care? Is that duty only to the client - the testator of the will - or does it extend to the beneficiaries of the Will that we write? We take a look at two relevant cases in this episode to answer the question.

March 15, 2026Episode 7520 min

Increasing the Value of Your Business - A Cautionary Tale

This episode is a little different to most others. It follows the progress of a journey towards retirement for one Estate Planner, and the problems and solutions that were encountered along the way. Sadly, the lady in question was diagnosed with a terminal condition during the process and passed away quite suddenly. I hope the lessons learned from her story can help you as your own story is written.

February 22, 2026Episode 7418 min

Increasing the Value of Your Business With Client Reviews

In this episode, we take a look at the function of proactively reaching out to clients to review their circumstances. We examine a few tips on how to do this successfully and we see what impact client reviews can have on the ultimate value of the business.

February 2, 2026Episode 7323 min

Stephenson v Daley (2026)

This episode looks at this unusual case which is a rare instance of a claim being brought on the grounds of a lack of knowledge and approval of the contents of the will, without any overlapping claims of lack of capacity or undue influence.

January 15, 2026Episode 7117 min

Increasing the Value of Your Business With Policies

This episode looks at how the value of a business or an individual's job position can be increased by implementing policies.

December 22, 2025Episode 7018 min

A Thought Experiment

In this episode, we will explore an idea that might be able to help us increase the value of our client's estates. This would be value in terms of both financial worth and the sentimental value to the future family.