# Checklist and Workflow Management in EstateWorks ![Steam locomotive engineer operating a set of controls in the driver’s cab.](https://estateworks.com/public/image/Steam.png) # Checklist and Workflow Management in EstateWorks By [Paul Edwards](https://estateworks.com/public/paul-edwards), CEO, EstateWorks Systems LLC In our recent article, [How to Evaluate Software for Checklist and Workflow Management in Trust & Estates](https://estateworks.com/public/trust-estate-checklist-workflow-evaluation), we examined the capabilities organizations should look for when evaluating checklist software. We divided those requirements into two broad categories: - Organizational Standards — defining how work should normally be performed, who should be responsible, and how the organization maintains those standards. - Managing Real-World Matters — applying those standards to individual matters while accommodating the differences and exceptions that inevitably arise. In this article, we'll look at how EstateWorks addresses those requirements, with two product demonstrations illustrating the capabilities in practice. ## Part 1: Organizational Standards EstateWorks supports organizational checklist standards through: - **Master Checklist Templates** — defining standard processes and tasks. - **Integration** — connecting checklist activities with matter information across the platform. - **Deadline Calculation** — establishing scheduling rules, dependencies and recurrence. - **Role-Based Assignment** — allocating responsibilities through Case Team Roles. - **Business-User Configuration** — maintaining standards without software development. - **Reusable Processes** — defining specialized procedures that can be added when required. ### Defining the Standard Process EstateWorks uses Master Checklist Templates to define how an organization expects work to be performed. An organization can maintain different templates for different types of matters and jurisdictions. An estate settlement matter in Florida, for example, might follow a different checklist from one in Massachusetts. Estate Planning matters can have their own templates. Checklist coverage isn't limited to jurisdictions for which EstateWorks provides curated forms. The ability to define and manage a checklist and the availability of jurisdiction-specific forms are separate capabilities. Each checklist is organized into processes, based on the type of work, its relative sequence, or any other criteria that reflect how the organization wants to structure its work. Each process contains individual tasks. For every task, the organization can specify: - A description of the work to be performed. - The event or date that triggers the task. - A time offset relative to the trigger, expressed in days, months or years. - Whether the task should recur automatically and at what frequency. - The Case Team Role normally responsible for completing it. Tasks can also be organized into the sequence in which the organization expects the work to be performed. The result is more than a list of activities. It establishes the expected work, timing and responsibilities as part of the organization's operating model. ![Master Checklist Editor with processes and task settings](https://estateworks.com/public/image/CL1.png) ### Integrated With the Broader Operating Platform Checklists in EstateWorks aren't a standalone application. They're part of the same platform used to manage matters, contacts, responsibilities, dates, documents and financial information. This integration is important because the information needed to manage checklist activities is often maintained elsewhere in the matter. For example, task deadlines can be calculated from matter dates, while task assignments are determined by the individuals filling Case Team Roles. Similarly, checklist activity contributes to the reporting and management visibility available across the organization. There is no need to maintain separate copies of this information in an independent checklist system. ### Calculating Deadlines One of the important distinctions between a static checklist and an operational checklist is how deadlines are managed. In EstateWorks, due dates can be calculated automatically from dates maintained within the matter. For example, the task of obtaining death certificates might have a due date scheduled for ten days after the Date of Death. Other tasks might be calculated from the Date of Appointment, a different system date or an organization-defined date. Offsets can be positive or negative, allowing tasks to be scheduled before or after a triggering event. Task dates can also depend on other tasks, allowing scheduling relationships to be established between activities. These are scheduling dependencies, rather than enforced workflow dependencies that prevent subsequent work from proceeding. When the relevant date becomes available or changes, the system can calculate the appropriate task deadlines. Tasks can also be recurring. Once a recurring task has been completed, EstateWorks can generate its next occurrence according to the recurrence schedule. This allows the organization to establish scheduling rules centrally rather than requiring users to calculate and maintain every deadline manually. ![Master Checklist task configuration with trigger, offset, recurrence and role assignment](https://estateworks.com/public/image/CL2.png) ### Assigning Responsibility by Role EstateWorks distinguishes between Case Team Roles and the individuals who fill those roles. A task might normally be assigned to the Paralegal, Attorney or Assistant. When a matter is created, the individuals assigned to those roles become responsible for the corresponding work. This allows the organization to establish standard responsibilities without building its processes around particular employees. It also makes staffing changes easier to accommodate. People can change without requiring the underlying checklist structure to be rewritten. ### Maintaining the Standards An operating model shouldn't be frozen at implementation. Access to Master Checklist configuration is controlled through user permissions, allowing the organization to distinguish between those responsible for maintaining standards and those responsible for applying them. Authorized business users can maintain EstateWorks Master Checklist Templates directly, including adding or removing tasks, editing deadlines, changing assignments and reorganizing processes. These changes don't require software development or involvement from EstateWorks. Changes to a Master Checklist apply automatically to new matters created using that template. There is also an important distinction concerning existing matters. Changes to due-date calculation rules propagate directly to existing matters. Other changes, such as adding or deleting standard tasks or changing task descriptions, can be applied to existing matters with assistance from EstateWorks support. This provides a way to improve organizational standards without indiscriminately changing the work already underway. ### Processes That Aren't Needed in Every Matter Not every process belongs in every standard checklist, even if the organization wants to define its specific expectations for that subset of work. EstateWorks enables organizations to maintain standalone processes that can be added to individual matters when appropriate. One example demonstrated in the video is a Crummey Notice Process, incorporating tasks relating to insurance premium renewals, payment and the associated notices. The organization can define the tasks, responsibilities, dates and recurrence rules once, then make the process available for use in matters where it's needed. This avoids having to include every conceivable process in every checklist, while preserving standardization when specialized work is required. ## Part 2: Managing Real-World Matters EstateWorks supports the management of individual matters through: - **Template-Based Checklists** — starting with the organization's established standards. - **Access and Permissions** — controlling who can modify matter checklists. - **Matter-Level Flexibility** — adding, modifying, deleting or marking tasks Not Applicable. - **Deadline Overrides and Reassignment** — adapting schedules and responsibilities. - **Task Completion and Progress** — tracking completed work and outstanding activities. - **Task Notes** — recording context and status information. - **Multiple Views and Reporting** — presenting checklist information for individuals and management. Establishing organizational standards is only half the challenge. No two Trust & Estate matters are exactly alike. Different assets, beneficiaries, jurisdictions, deadlines and circumstances can all affect the work required. EstateWorks therefore treats the Master Checklist as the starting point for an individual matter, rather than an inflexible set of instructions. ### Starting With the Standard When a matter is created, its checklist is based on the Master Checklist Template selected by the user. The processes and tasks are already defined, and due dates are calculated from the relevant matter information. Responsibilities are established through the Case Team Roles assigned to that matter. Users therefore begin with the organization's preferred operating process, rather than constructing a new checklist for every engagement. ### Access and Permissions Organizations need to control not only who maintains their standard procedures, but also who can access and manage individual matters. EstateWorks uses role-based permissions to control access to application capabilities, distinguishing administrative configuration from day-to-day matter management. Within individual matters, Case Team Roles establish responsibility for the work, while individual tasks can be assigned or reassigned as required. This separates the authority to maintain organizational standards through Master Checklist Templates from the responsibility for managing work through individual matter checklists. ### Adapting the Checklist Depending on the organization's preference, any authorized user—or only members of the Case Team—can modify a matter's checklist to reflect its particular circumstances without changing the organizational template. For example, a matter might not require a federal estate tax return. Rather than leaving irrelevant tasks outstanding, the user can mark those tasks Not Applicable. An entire process can also be marked Not Applicable with a single action. This is different from simply deleting the work. The tasks remain visible, but are identified as not required for that matter and no longer generate outstanding-task reminders. Where appropriate, users can also delete individual tasks or entire processes. The objective is to leave a checklist that reflects the work actually required for the matter at hand, rather than one cluttered with irrelevant obligations. ![Matter-level checklist with completed and Not Applicable tasks](https://estateworks.com/public/image/CL3.png) ### Adjusting Deadlines and Responsibilities Automatically calculated deadlines provide consistency, but circumstances sometimes require a different date. EstateWorks allows a user to override a task's calculated due date for an individual matter. That adjustment affects the particular task without requiring a change to the organization's standard scheduling rule. The revised due date is identifiable as modified on the checklist. Similarly, tasks can be assigned or reassigned to reflect the people responsible for specific work in that matter. This preserves the benefits of standardization while accommodating professional judgment. ![Task Detail showing the Projected Due Date highlighted in red](https://estateworks.com/public/image/CL4.png) ### Adding Tasks and Processes An individual matter may require work that wasn't anticipated in the Master Checklist. Users can add tasks to an existing process, position them where they belong, establish their due dates and assign responsibility. They can also add an entire predefined standalone process. For example, a matter requiring additional trust administration work can incorporate the appropriate process, complete with its predefined tasks and responsibilities. This is an important distinction: the organization can maintain a library of standardized processes without requiring every matter to include all of them. ### Documenting Completion, Progress and Context Users can mark tasks complete individually or select multiple tasks for completion in a single operation. EstateWorks records task completion as part of the checklist, separately from the Dates of Record maintained within the matter. This distinction matters. Completing a task associated with filing a tax return, for example, is not necessarily the same as recording the actual filing date. The two serve different operational purposes. EstateWorks also provides progress information, allowing users to assess the status of individual processes and the overall checklist. But managing a checklist involves more than completing tasks. EstateWorks allows users to add notes to individual tasks, providing context about the work involved or its current status. For example, a task relating to life insurance claims might contain notes identifying the insurance companies involved and the status of the respective claims. These updates become part of the matter's current operational information, making it easier for other Case Team members to understand what has been accomplished and what remains outstanding. ### Different Views of the Same Work The checklist's process-oriented structure is useful for understanding the work involved in a matter, but it isn't necessarily the most convenient presentation for every purpose. EstateWorks allows checklist information to be viewed and filtered in different ways, including by task status, responsibility and due date. Users can focus on upcoming work, outstanding tasks or activities assigned to particular Case Team members rather than continually reviewing the complete checklist. The same underlying task information also supports calendars, reminders and workload reporting. This allows the checklist to serve different operational needs without maintaining separate versions of the work. ### Visibility Beyond the Individual Checklist Checklist information is also useful beyond the matter itself. EstateWorks brings task status, due dates and responsibilities into individual task views, calendars, reminders and organization-level reporting. Users receive task reminders, including information about upcoming and overdue activities, while managers can examine workload and outstanding activity across multiple matters. Because that information comes from the same system used to manage the work, the organization doesn't have to rely entirely on separate spreadsheets or manual status reports to understand what is happening. The checklist therefore supports both the execution of individual matters and broader operational visibility. ## Automation, Workflow and AI Our original evaluation article also distinguished checklist management from workflow automation and AI. That distinction is worth preserving. EstateWorks provides automation around the management of work: calculating deadlines, assigning responsibilities through Case Team Roles, creating recurring tasks and generating reminders. These capabilities help coordinate the work and reduce the administrative effort required to manage it. They don't mean that EstateWorks automatically performs every task on the checklist. Generating documents, preparing returns, contacting beneficiaries and making professional decisions may involve other capabilities, integrations or actions by the Case Team. Similarly, AI-driven task execution is a separate consideration from the underlying framework used to define, assign and monitor the work. A useful checklist and workflow platform must first provide a reliable structure for understanding what needs to happen, when, and who is responsible. ## Standardization With Flexibility The challenge for Trust & Estate organizations isn't simply to develop a good checklist. It's to establish a common way of working, apply it consistently, allow appropriate exceptions and maintain visibility into what is actually happening. EstateWorks addresses those requirements at two levels. At the organizational level, Master Checklist Templates define standard processes, responsibilities, scheduling rules and reusable procedures. At the matter level, Case Team members apply those standards while adapting them to the circumstances of the work. Together, they allow an organization to improve consistency without forcing every matter into an identical process. And because the checklists are connected to task management, reminders, calendars and reporting, they become part of the organization's operating platform rather than simply a record of things to do. The result is an approach to checklist and workflow management intended to make Trust & Estate work more consistent, visible and easier to manage. For the underlying evaluation criteria, read [How to Evaluate Software for Checklist and Workflow Management in Trust & Estates](https://estateworks.com/public/trust-estate-checklist-workflow-evaluation). To see these capabilities in action, watch the two product demonstrations above. [Read, comment on or share this article on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/checklist-workflow-management-estateworks-estateworks-kpqpe) --- Canonical HTML: https://estateworks.com/public/checklist-workflow-management-estateworks