Fixed-fee succession plan for small family businesses and their heirs
TL;DR Heirplan takes the owner of a small family business through a 90-day programme: a complete asset map, a will drafted by an advocate, nominations aligned to it, and a written family agreement on who runs the firm next. The owner pays a fixed fee, and the whole family works from one shared workspace.
India had 149 million people over 60 in 2022, heading for 347 million by 2050[1]. Many own a shop, a factory or a trading firm whose assets are mixed up with the family's - property in one name, the firm in another, deposits nominated to whoever was at the bank that day.
When the owner dies without a plan, the family often ends up in court. India's district courts had over 1.12 crore civil cases pending in October 2026, more than 8 lakh of them older than ten years[2]. That figure covers all civil disputes, not only inheritance, but it shows how long a contested estate can drag on.
Professional help exists, but mostly for the wealthy - one Indian multi-family office starts its family-business service at ₹100 Cr[3].
What it does, in regulatory terms: succession planning and document coordination only. Heirplan gives no investment advice, which needs SEBI registration[4], and it does not practise law. Wills, trust deeds and partnership changes are drafted and signed off by empanelled advocates.
The seed pitched an affordable, shared family office, so I reframed it. A family office manages investments, which is regulated, and its economics only work with large portfolios. What smaller families lack is a plan and not a portfolio manager.
The programme runs in three stages. First, the owner and a planner list every asset, account, loan, policy and business interest, with current nominees. Second, an advocate drafts the will and any partnership or shareholding changes, and the family updates nominations to match. Third, the family meets twice with a facilitator to agree who takes over the business, what the others receive, and how disagreements will be settled. Everything sits in a shared workspace that heirs can open later.
The owner pays, usually a man or woman over 55 whose children are pressing for clarity. Prices people pay today give you the range - one online will service lists wills from ₹7,499 (another menu on its site shows ₹1,999), family trusts from ₹2 lakh and post-death legal work from ₹24,999[5]. Heirplan's test price is a fixed programme fee between a will and a trust, which is my assumption. Chartered accountants and bank relationship managers are the natural referrers.
Two rule changes make planning more useful. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 lets a depositor name up to four nominees, with set shares[6]. In July 2026, SEBI dropped the mandatory probate requirement for passing on securities, citing recent amendments to succession laws, and simplified documents for smaller claims[7]. A valid will and aligned nominations now move faster.
There is no public figure for spending on succession planning by small family businesses. The firmest numbers are proxies - 149 million people over 60[1] and over a crore civil cases pending[2]. Pricing evidence is clearer, with will and trust services already charging from a few thousand rupees to ₹2 lakh[5]. Treat the population figures as context only.
One online will service has drafted wills and trusts online since 2014 and sells post-death services[5]. Multi-family offices offer succession planning and family governance, but for families with ₹5 Cr to ₹100 Cr or more in investable assets[3]. Chartered accountants help informally. Nobody I found sells a fixed-price programme that combines the asset map, legal documents and a facilitated family agreement for smaller owners.
| Difficulty | Moderate (41/100) |
| Starting capital | ₹40–75 L |
| Time to launch | 3–5 months |
The software is simple. The hard parts are human, and humans are messy. Family meetings need skilled, neutral facilitators, and owners delay decisions about which child gets what. Building a reliable advocate panel in each city, at fixed fees, takes time. Selling depends on trust, so referrals from chartered accountants will matter more than ads.
There's no single licence for succession planning, but the work touches law and investment advice, so where you draw the line matters.
Building this outside India? The categories above usually have a local equivalent, so check with your own regulator.
AI shouldn't draft the will or decide who gets what. That's legal work for an advocate and a family decision, and a confident wrong answer here ends up in court.
Want to work out the AI layer for Heirplan? Talk to Yash →
I'd back a founder with a background in estate law, family business advisory or private banking who actually enjoys sitting with families. If you're expecting a software business then this is the wrong one. Prove first that chartered accountants will refer clients and that 10 owners finish the programme within 90 days.
Plan for roughly ₹40–75 L, mostly on planners, facilitators and building an advocate panel.
There's no single licence. Wills and deeds must be drafted by advocates, and investment recommendations need SEBI registration, so stay on planning and coordination.
Yes, family businesses everywhere face this. Inheritance and nomination rules differ a lot, so partner with local lawyers before you sell.
The free Heirplan validation kit has the line-by-line capital breakdown, the effort scoring, the legal-practice and data-protection checklist, a 14-day validation sprint with pass/fail targets, a 90-day launch plan, 10 interview questions for owners and their children, and 5 assumptions to test. Download the kit →
Thinking about building Heirplan or something close to it? The make-or-break work is getting owners through the family conversation they keep postponing, and that's the kind of thing I help founders with. If you need a hand, you know where to find me. Talk to Yash →
For illustration only. Names are fictional and ideas hypothetical; sourced facts are real but may be out of date. Nothing here is legal, financial or professional advice, and Yash Khatri is not personally liable for any use of it. Read the full disclaimer.