451. From Estate Lawyer to Legal Tech CEO: Reinventing Trust Administration with Leah Del Percio

451. From Estate Lawyer to Legal Tech CEO: Reinventing Trust Administration with Leah Del Percio

Author: My Legal Academy June 20, 2025 Duration: 33:27

What if the biggest opportunity in your law practice isn’t about getting more clients, but doing more with the ones you already have?

In this episode, guest host Mike Smith—estate planning attorney and co-founder of Smith Barrett LLC—dives into a powerful conversation with Leah Del Percio, a former Big Law attorney turned tech founder.

With experience at DLA Piper, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan, Leah shares how the pain points of trust and estate work led her to launch Trustate, a platform designed to help law firms future-proof plans, streamline workflows, and elevate client service.

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a blueprint for staying relevant, efficient, and indispensable in the modern legal landscape.

Free Training for Law Firm Owners

Don’t miss The AI-First Law Firm Blueprint — a live masterclass showing how to automate intake, client updates, and operations without hiring more staff.

📅 Happening June 24 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

🎯 Save your seat here → https://link.mylegalacademy.com/4e0dLsY

Key Takeaways from Mike and Leah:

1. Cut Admin Time with Systematized Form Handling

Cut out hours spent chasing down bank forms or sitting on hold by creating a centralized, up-to-date library and standardizing your intake process.

Delegate form population so your team can move faster with less friction.

2. Treat Estate Planning Like Ongoing Care, Not a One-Time Prescription

Treat estate planning as a living process, not a one-off transaction.

Use flexible tools like trustee powers and schedule regular reviews to keep plans aligned with life and law changes.


3. Don’t Let Hidden Assets Derail an Estate

Integrate asset searches into your process to uncover accounts that clients may have overlooked or forgotten.

This reduces risk and helps avoid major surprises during administration.


4. Strengthen Document Drafting by Combining Quality with Consistency

Move beyond copy-paste methods to structured drafting systems that reduce errors and improve clarity.

Ensure your documents are consistent, logical, and tailored, not bloated templates.


5. Deliver Concierge-Level Service Without a Big Team

Break your processes into clear, repeatable workflows your team can follow without direct attorney input.

This lets you serve clients at a higher level while protecting your time and scaling more sustainably.

 

"Lawyers these days, if they just focus on the transactional aspect of planning—where it's just, you fill out your intake form... I design a plan based on that... and I produce a document—they're doing their clients a horrible disservice." —  Leah Del Percio


Get in touch with Leah Del Percio:

Website: https://www.trustate.com/

Email: leah@trustate.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahdelpercio/

Free Workshop with Leah:

https://www.skool.com/mylegalacademy/classroom/ec6b644d?md=c18190deaa764aff8e2aa6f4b125e0fc


Are you a high-achieving woman in...


Navigating the legal landscape while trying to build a sustainable business is a unique challenge, one that The Law Entrepreneur tackles head-on. This isn't just about legal theory; it's a practical guide for anyone who sees their legal expertise as the foundation for a thriving enterprise. Each episode feels like a candid conversation, pulling back the curtain on the real-world business of law. You'll hear from the podcast host and guests about building a brand, implementing efficient systems, and finding clients in a modern market, all while maintaining the rigorous standards of the profession. The discussions go beyond typical career advice, delving into the mindset shifts required to transition from practitioner to owner. Whether it's marketing, technology, leadership, or niche development, this series provides actionable insights for the journey. Brought to you by My Legal Academy, this podcast serves as an essential resource for lawyers, paralegals, and legal consultants ready to architect their own success. Tune in for honest stories of setbacks and breakthroughs, all focused on creating a law practice that is as innovative as it is compliant.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Law Entrepreneur
Podcast Episodes
395. Starting Your Solo Law Firm with Jason Rice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Jason Rice is a solo practitioner up in the beautiful state of Maine, having left the Sunshine State of Florida to pursue his legal practice near his wife's hometown was a matter of fact, and he has a family law practice…
394. The Restaurant Lawyer with Sean Morris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:12
This is a classic re-run of my episode with Sean Morris.Neil chats with Sean Morris about his experience as a primary authority in the restaurant community of Washington D.C., as well as their experience as co-graduates…
392. Project Management for Law Firms with Katherine Porter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:52
Today my guest is Katherine Porter. She is a litigation attorney out of Southern California who developed, originally as a side gig, a project management consulting firm that has become more and more of her primary role.…
391. Living a Technicolor Life with Wendy Meadows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:13
Today, I am happy to welcome back Wendy Meadows! If that name seems familiar to you, she was a guest back on Episode 307 talking about time management techniques. This time, I am excited to speak with her primarily about…
390. Exit Strategies for Law Firms with Christine McDannell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:36
Today, my guest is Christine McDannell. Christine is a mergers and acquisition specialist and advisor. I wanted to have her on the program today to talk about a subject area that we solo and small firm practitioners don'…
389. Getting the Most from Your Next Conference with Janet Falk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
I am pleased to welcome back, Janet Falk. While we talked previously about PR in episode 199, in our conversation today, we're going to talk about another aspect of services that she provides - marketing and communicatio…
388. Choosing Your Law Firm Name with Alexandra Watkins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:26
Today, my guest is Alexandra Watkins. Alexandra has a company based around her website, EatMyWords.com - which you'll understand once you listen to the podcast - she is a naming specialist, that nuanced and niched aspect…