If you’ve ever tried to untangle a digital footprint after someone passes away, you know it’s not just about passwords. It’s about emails, cloud storage, photos, two-factor authentication, digital subscriptions, and so much more. And yet, for years, digital assets have sat awkwardly at the edges of traditional estate planning, where they were acknowledged, but not fully integrated.
BePrepared identified this inefficiency, and they’ve set out to change it.
A Response to an Overlooked Problem
Founded in 2018 by Dylan O’Brien, BePrepared is a firm-branded, secure digital vault designed specifically for law firms to help clients manage and protect their digital assets. With large global traction and over 30,000 users across six countries, it’s become the go-to solution for estate planners seeking to offer modern, secure, and practical guidance on digital asset planning.
And it’s a solution lawyers clearly need. According to a recent STEP report, over 60% of estate planners are fielding digital asset questions from clients, yet few feel equipped to answer them confidently.
After watching an insightful demo by the founder, Dylan, we wanted to know more.
TLW: Dylan, the digital asset planning features that BePrepared offers seem like a no-brainer for estate planners. Why do you think digital asset planning has remained such an under-addressed issue in the estate planning community, even as demand has grown so visibly?
Dylan: “It’s a perfect storm of a few elements, but really the largest complaint we hear about is that despite the estate planning department requesting such a solution, it’s hard for them to get other board members who work in different areas of law to understand it and approve it. That’s the most common bottleneck.”
BePrepared not only tackles the discomfort lawyers feel in advising on digital assets, it also systematizes the process. Clients receive 24/7 access to a secure, private vault where they can store everything from passwords and crypto to email accounts and family photos. When the time comes, designated executors get guided access to those assets, with step-by-step instructions and necessary credentials.
Not Just a Vault. A Time Saver, And Revenue Generator
Of course, this isn’t just about the client experience. Firms using BePrepared report saving hundreds of hours annually on administrative tasks. From client file access to automatic reminders, and document exchange to onboarding workflows, the tool becomes a background engine driving operational efficiency.
More importantly, the product has introduced something estate lawyers rarely enjoy: a recurring revenue stream. BePrepared’s automated check-ins prompt clients to update their documents, schedule reviews, and stay in touch with their law firm, all of which generate steady, predictable work without added effort.
TLW: Many legal tech products already promise time savings or automation, but not as many focus on firm growth. Was it a conscious design choice to build in lead gen and client retention features?
Dylan: “Many law firms undervalue their estate planning department. What they don’t realise is that, not only does a will bank have substantial value when a firm is sold, but also that estate planning is one of the few areas of law where you need updates again and again over your lifetime. So it’s really the closest thing a law firm will get to a ‘subscription-like’ offering. As far as we’re concerned, anything that creates value for our firms is a win, so if there’s an opportunity to help with technology – we’re in.”
With automatic client referrals based on word-of-mouth and vault sharing features, firms handling as few as 20 estate matters per month could generate over £14,000 in additional monthly revenue, according to BePrepared’s internal data.
Security That Meets the Moment
Security is table stakes in this category, and BePrepared is built accordingly. With an ASVS Level 3 build spec (typically reserved for civil infrastructure and military applications), SOC2 and GDPR compliance, unique device fingerprinting, forced MFA, and encrypted user keys, the platform exceeds the standard most lawyers are used to.
TLW: The legal industry can be deeply cautious when it comes to digital security. How did you approach building trust with law firms, especially around sensitive data and client privacy?
Dylan: “Our approach was essentially to be first and foremost a cyber security company. This means that unlike many of our competitors, we ourselves are compliant and certified (not just ‘built on top of’ certified providers). We knew security had to be airtight, and we continue to invest a disproportional amount of time and capital into making it so.”
Importantly, lawyers do not see their client’s stored information before death. Clients control their vaults completely, and law firms receive access only upon death, along with an audit trail of instructions and assets. That balance between privacy and utility is key to BePrepared’s value proposition.
Beyond Estate Planning
While estate planning is its core focus, firms are already adapting BePrepared to other practice areas. In family law, it’s being used to securely manage disclosure between parties. In commercial law, it functions as a virtual data room for M&A or corporate governance. Anywhere sensitive documents and recurring updates are needed, the vault fits.
TLW: As you scale across different practice areas, what use cases have you found the most surprising and the most valuable?
Dylan: “I think I was most surprised by the number of firms that just use it as their general client portal. Not just because of its security but because of its ease of use and white labelling. In fact, many firms use it even when their practise management system already has a vault built in. And when we ask them why, they say it’s because they’re proud to show ours to clients as opposed to embarrassed.”
Better yet, the platform isn’t just scalable; it’s concierge-supported. Firms are onboarded personally, with weekly group training, live chat support, and Teams integration for real-time collaboration with BePrepared’s staff. Template packs for marketing, emails, and website content come bundled, allowing even small firms to hit the ground running.
Infrastructure for the Future
Digital estate planning is becoming essential. As more assets move online and clients expect modern solutions, firms that fail to evolve risk becoming obsolete. What BePrepared offers is more than a software tool, and it extends into the realm of client-facing infrastructure investment that reflects how legal services are shifting.
For law firms who want to offer secure, modern, and recurring estate services, without the liability headaches, BePrepared might just be the infrastructure they’ve been waiting for.
TLW: Where does BePrepared go from here? As the legal tech ecosystem matures, what’s next on your product roadmap?
Dylan: “We’re currently investing very heavily in all aspects of estate planning and estate administration. As the Digital Assets Bill received a royal assent last week in the UK and digital assets are now considered property legally, we are also looking at risk management tools to allow lawyers to prove that they provided competent advice if a regulator was to ever ask questions about digital assets.”
