Washington Supreme Court Authorizes Legata to Offer Tech-Enabled Estate Planning Under Pilot Program

Legata, Inc. to provide estate planning legal services in Washington State through the state's Pilot Project for Entity Regulation. Legata is the first company to receive this authorization under the pilot, which the court established in 2024 to test new delivery models and alternative business structures for legal services.

Millions of Americans lack basic estate planning documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Traditional estate planning typically relies on lengthy in‑person consultations billed hourly, which limits affordability and access. The pilot authorization lets Legata offer a different model that uses technology to lower cost and friction while operating under supervised regulatory safeguards.

Legata's platform combines several elements:

• Plain‑language, interactive guidance and structured intake workflows that walk clients through estate planning choices.
• Lawyer‑designed document generation and customizable templates that automate routine drafting tasks.
• Trained professional support embedded in the platform and a referral pathway to licensed estate planning attorneys for complex matters or when clients request direct attorney involvement.

Regulatory and consumer protections

The required disclosure states Legata's authorization is valid for an initial seven‑year term and applies to estate planning services provided to Washington State residents through the Legata platform. The pilot framework allows legal services to be provided in ways that might not be offered by a traditional lawyer or by entities not owned entirely by licensed lawyers.

Legata's founder and CEO, Alesia Pinney, is quoted stating the company's goal is to expand access by offering a more efficient, technology‑enabled approach while operating under safeguards, oversight, and accountability.

Practical implications for consumers and practitioners

For consumers: Legata offers a self‑guided, technology‑backed route to obtain core estate planning documents with professional supervision and complaint mechanisms that do not exist with many generic document generators.

For attorneys and the legal market: The approval represents an operational test of the WSBA pilot's ability to integrate nontraditional providers into regulated legal services. The model includes referral paths to licensed attorneys for higher‑complexity work, potentially changing how routine estate planning is handled.

Regulation and complaint filing information at wsba.org/entityreg. Legata's media contact and corporate disclosures were included with the authorization announcement.