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Our story

We built the thing we wished existed when someone we loved died.

Because the greatest gift you can leave the people you love isn't money. It's not having to figure it out alone.

Why we exist

Nobody tells you what happens after.

You know someone has died. You know there's a will — probably. You think it might be with a solicitor. Or maybe in the filing cabinet. Or the one they mentioned once, years ago, on a Sunday afternoon.

Then the calls start. The bank. The pension provider. The insurance company. Each one asking for a death certificate. Each one with a different process. Each one perfectly polite and completely unhelpful.

This is the experience waiting for millions of UK families. Not because anyone was irresponsible. Because nobody built anything better.

That's what Beqst is. Not paperwork. Not legal jargon. Just the thing your family will desperately need — already done, already organised, already in their hands when the worst happens.

From the founder

James McPherson

James McPherson, Founder of Beqst

I spent years working in financial services — advising on wealth management, building financial planning tools, helping people think clearly about their money and their future. I understood better than most why prudent planning matters.

Then my wife's grandmother died. And in the months that followed, watching our family wade through filing cabinets and phone calls and competing memories of what was said to whom — I realised that professional knowledge counts for nothing in the fog of grief. You can know exactly what should have been done. That doesn't make it less of a mess when it wasn't.

Beqst is what I kept wishing existed. Not just a will. A system — already organised, already in the right hands — that works precisely when the people using it are least equipped to figure anything out.

Values

What drives us

Three principles that shape everything we build.

Clarity

Estate planning is overwhelming. We make it structured, guided, and manageable — so you always know what to do next.

Security

Your most sensitive information deserves bank-level protection. AES-256 encryption, UK data storage, GDPR compliant.

Empathy

We design for the hardest moments. Our executor portal is grief-aware — clear steps, no jargon, no pressure.

The challenge

The problem we're solving

Estate planning in the UK is broken. The numbers tell the story.

59%

of UK adults don't have a valid will

IRN Research, 2025

9–12 mo

average time to settle a UK estate through probate

GOV.UK / The Probate Service

£5,000+

Typical cost of professional estate administration

The Law Society, 2024

£8.7B

Paid in inheritance tax last year — often avoidable with planning

HMRC, 2025/26 estimate

£5.5T

Expected UK wealth transfer over the next 30 years

Kings Court Trust / Cebr

How we compare

Three ways to plan your estate

An honest comparison across the dimensions that actually matter.

Probate SolicitorDo It YourselfBeqst
TimeWeeks of appointmentsMonths — or never finished2 minutes to start
Money1.5–2.5% of estate + VATNothing — except your timeFree, or from £4.99/mo
DifficultyYou still gather everythingNo guidanceEvery aspect covered
EmotionalFormal and clinicalAlone with hard topicsBuilt for the hardest moments
ManagementPaid revisit per changeDrawers and memoryOne login, always current
SupportOffice hours onlyNoneGuides + executor portal
CollationYou bring it to themScattered everywhereOne encrypted place

Journey

Our roadmap

Where we've been and where we're headed.

March 2025

Beta launch

Private beta opens to early adopters. Core estate planning tools, digital vault, and executor portal go live.

2025

Growth & refinement

Expanding features, refining the executor portal, and incorporating feedback from our earliest users.

2026

Public launch (in progress)

Full public launch with the complete platform — subscriptions, IHT tools, notification contacts, and advanced permissions.

Beyond

The vision

Open Banking integration, beneficiary portals, automated IHT optimisation, and partnerships with financial advisors.

Ready to get started?

Join thousands of UK families who are organising their estate with Beqst.