When Justin Cutler founded his law firm in 2016, the first problem he faced was getting any work at all. After a lot of time and a lot of work he found himself faced with a different problem — one that many solo and small-firm lawyers know too well — too much work, too little time. He loved serving clients, but clunky processes and a long list of admin tasks left little room for growth, or life. He needed to find a way to do it all more efficiently, without compromising on quality.

A Bold Idea

Around this time, his brother Jake called him one evening with a favor to ask. Jake and his wife were flying out the following morning on a short trip just the two of them, leaving their child with grandparents for the first time. It occurred to them that if something tragic happened on the trip, they’d definitely have an opinion on who would raise their son. So Jake asked if Justin could help them set up an estate plan…that night.

It was a very simple estate so Justin got the necessary info, drafted the plan, and met Jake and his wife and their parents’ house to sign and notarize the documents. That simple late-night signing started a conversation between Justin and Jake that would eventually lead to Estate Engine.

The plan was to use Justin’s experience as an estate planning attorney and Jake’s product/marketing experience to create a digital tool that made estate planning faster for everyone. But, of course, things don’t always go according to plan.

A Necessary Pivot

In late 2019, Turbo Wills was launched as a direct-to-consumer platform to let people with very simple estates — young parents, new homeowners — create “starter” estate plans to cover the basics and set the foundation for revisions down the road. But they discovered an uphill battle because most people, even those with small, simple estates, don’t want to trust their legacy to software alone. They want an attorney they can talk to. Someone who understands their family, their fears, and their future. By the end of 2020, they shut down Turbo Wills.

The silver lining was that Justin didn’t come away empty-handed. Before closing up shop, he asked if Jake could make a modified version of the technology they built for Turbo Wills to help him streamline intake and drafting at his own firm.

A Decade of Proof

The software used to launch Turbo Wills would eventually become the blueprint for Estate Engine, but not before it powered Justin’s firm with some undeniable results:

The “minimum viable product” built for Turbo Wills became the quiet force behind that success. In 2025, Justin approached Jake about modifying it again. This time so they could share it with attorneys all across the country.

Why We Exist

We believe the best attorneys don’t need to work longer hours, they just need better tools. Estate Engine helps solo and small-firm estate planning attorneys work smarter, serve better, and grow stronger — without sacrificing the personal touch clients deserve. Because great technology shouldn’t replace you. It should give you the breathing room to let your human expertise drive exceptional service for your clients.

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