Will Writing 101

Will writing can be fast, free and friendly!

Team Members and Divisions

Goh Sheen An: Platforms Products / GDP
Lam Kwok Leong: Government Productivity Engineering / TIS
Alson Tan: GovTech Anti Scam / GDP
Devin Ho: Government Productivity Engineering / TIS
Helen Chong: Digital Governance / SCG
Choong Ming Sien: Strategic Planning & Transformation / SCG

Problem Statements and Problem Formulation

Our team identified a significant gap in estate planning among married individuals with children. While many acknowledge the importance of will writing, a substantial portion fails to take action. Through initial research and informal surveys, we uncovered several key obstacles:

Overwhelm and Complexity: The legal jargon and perceived complexity of will writing create a sense of intimidation.
Information Overload, Action Deficit: Individuals struggle to extract a simple, actionable list of instructions from the vast amount of online information available.
Cost Misconceptions and Procrastination: The search for "good deals" leads to procrastination, even though free will-writing services are readily available.
Limited Awareness of Resources: Many are unaware of free will-writing services, will storage options, and digital tools like MyLegacy Vault.

We formulated our problem statement as: "How might we simplify and demystify the will writing process for married individuals with children, empowering them to take proactive steps towards estate planning?"

Our formulation process involved:

User Research: Conducting informal surveys and interviews to understand user pain points.
Competitive Analysis: Examining existing will writing services and identifying areas for improvement.
Defining Target Audience: Focusing on married individuals with children to create a tailored solution for the purpose of the hackathon.
Breaking Down the Problem: Identifying key barriers and developing targeted solutions.

Solution Details

Our solution is a will writing recommender designed to guide users through the process in a user-friendly and accessible manner.

Interactive, Step-by-Step Interface: We implemented a "choose your own adventure" style interface with bite-sized informational content. This breaks down the complex process into manageable steps.
Personalized Checklist: Based on user input, the recommender generates a personalized checklist outlining the necessary actions.
Resource Integration: The checklist includes direct links to free will writing services, will storage advice, and information on utilizing MyLegacy Vault for asset list management.
Clear and Concise Language: We prioritized using plain language to demystify legal terminology and make the process more approachable.

Essentially, we created a digital guide that removes the intimidation factor and creates a clear pathway to beginning the will writing process.

Impact and Outcomes Analysis

Our solution aims to achieve the following impacts:

Increased Will Writing Adoption: By simplifying the process, we anticipate a significant increase in the number of individuals who create wills.
Improved Estate Planning Awareness: The recommender educates users on the importance of estate planning and available resources.
Reduced Stress and Anxiety: By providing clear guidance and support, we aim to alleviate the emotional burden associated with will writing.
Empowered Users: Providing users with a personalised checklist and links to resources empowers them to take control of their estate planning.

Outcomes are measured by:

User Feedback: Gathering user feedback through surveys and usability testing.
Completion Rates: Tracking the number of users who complete the recommender and generate a checklist.
Resource Utilization: Monitoring the number of users who access the provided resources.

Future Steps

If selected for incubation, we plan to implement the following enhancements:

SGFinDex Integration: Integrate with SGFinDex to automatically populate asset lists, streamlining the process.
Partnerships with Commercial Will Writing Services: Establish partnerships with reputable will writing services to offer users a wider range of options.
Expanded Target Audience: Extend the recommender to include other target groups, such as Muslims and individuals without children.
Enhanced Content and Features: Continuously update and improve the recommender based on user feedback and evolving needs.
Accessibility Improvements: Ensure the recommender is accessible to users with disabilities.
Multilingual Support: Support multiple languages to increase reach.

By implementing these future steps, we aim to create a comprehensive and accessible estate planning solution for all.

Problem Statements and Problem Formulation

Overwhelm and Complexity: The legal jargon and perceived complexity of will writing create a sense of intimidation.

Information Overload, Action Deficit: Individuals struggle to extract a simple, actionable list of instructions from the vast amount of online information available.

Cost Misconceptions and Procrastination: The search for "good deals" leads to procrastination, even though free will-writing services are readily available.

Limited Awareness of Resources: Many are unaware of free will-writing services, will storage options, and digital tools like MyLegacy Vault.

Our formulation process involved:

User Research: Conducting informal surveys and interviews to understand user pain points.

Competitive Analysis: Examining existing will writing services and identifying areas for improvement.

Defining Target Audience: Focusing on married individuals with children to create a tailored solution for the purpose of the hackathon.

Breaking Down the Problem: Identifying key barriers and developing targeted solutions.

Solution Details

Our solution is a will writing recommender designed to guide users through the process in a user-friendly and accessible manner.

Interactive, Step-by-Step Interface: We implemented a "choose your own adventure" style interface with bite-sized informational content. This breaks down the complex process into manageable steps.

Personalized Checklist: Based on user input, the recommender generates a personalized checklist outlining the necessary actions.

Resource Integration: The checklist includes direct links to free will writing services, will storage advice, and information on utilizing MyLegacy Vault for asset list management.

Clear and Concise Language: We prioritized using plain language to demystify legal terminology and make the process more approachable.

Essentially, we created a digital guide that removes the intimidation factor and creates a clear pathway to beginning the will writing process.

Impact and Outcomes Analysis

Our solution aims to achieve the following impacts:

Increased Will Writing Adoption: By simplifying the process, we anticipate a significant increase in the number of individuals who create wills.

Improved Estate Planning Awareness: The recommender educates users on the importance of estate planning and available resources.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety: By providing clear guidance and support, we aim to alleviate the emotional burden associated with will writing.

Empowered Users: Providing users with a personalised checklist and links to resources empowers them to take control of their estate planning.

Outcomes are measured by:

User Feedback: Gathering user feedback through surveys and usability testing.

Completion Rates: Tracking the number of users who complete the recommender and generate a checklist.

Resource Utilization: Monitoring the number of users who access the provided resources.

Future Steps

If selected for incubation, we plan to implement the following enhancements:

SGFinDex Integration: Integrate with SGFinDex to automatically populate asset lists, streamlining the process.

Partnerships with Commercial Will Writing Services: Establish partnerships with reputable will writing services to offer users a wider range of options.

Expanded Target Audience: Extend the recommender to include other target groups, such as Muslims and individuals without children.

Enhanced Content and Features: Continuously update and improve the recommender based on user feedback and evolving needs.

Accessibility Improvements: Ensure the recommender is accessible to users with disabilities.

Multilingual Support: Support multiple languages to increase reach.

By implementing these future steps, we aim to create a comprehensive and accessible estate planning solution for all.