How to Create a Will Online
Most of us don’t like to think about our own deaths, so the process of creating a will can feel daunting. And, in the past, it often involved hours of paperwork and hefty legal fees—making it an easy thing to procrastinate.
In fact, 60% of people die without a will. When this happens, the person’s family must work with the state to distribute assets and determine care of dependents, a process that is often time consuming and can be prone to disagreements.
Making your wishes known and legally binding can significantly ease the burden on your loved ones when you pass.
The good news is there are now several services that make it possible to create your will online, at an affordable price. Here are a five services to consider:
-
Willing: Willing.com walks you through each step of creating a will in an approachable, step-by-step format. At only $69, it’s a great option for people with straightforward estate planning needs. However, they don’t offer any access to legal (or website) support along the way, so if you have questions, you’re on your own. Try Willing >>
-
Freewill: As its name suggests, Freewill is a completely free way to create your will online. They achieve this by partnering with nonprofits, so there’s an added focus making charitable donations. Like Willing, the creation process is straightforward and user-friendly (they guide you through each decision), but Freewill goes into a little more depth than Willing does and offers the option to work with an attorney (at an added cost) after going through the online process. Try Freewill >>
-
LegalZoom: While LegalZoom does much more than wills, it offers a will creation tool that’s functionally similar to both Willing and Freewill. Wills start at $69, or $149, if you also want access to attorneys for advice along the way. While the creation flow feels a little less friendly than other other options, LegalZoom has been around since 1999, making it a much more mature company. Try LegalZoom >>
-
Rocket Lawyer: Like LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer is a well established company that does much more than wills, but has a simple will creation tool. It costs $39.99 to create any legal document on Rocket Lawyer. You can ask a lawyer legal questions for an additional $49.99. Try Rocket Lawyer >>
-
Everwill: Everwill is a higher touch version of the other online will creation platforms, letting you set up your will online, working hand-in-hand with an attorney. This makes it a better option for people with more complex estates and/or estate planning needs, but it also comes with a higher price tag. Wills starts at $950 (still generally a more affordable option than the traditional process of going into a law office). Everwill is currently only available to California residents, with plans to expand to other states soon. Try Everwill >>
-
Trust and Will: Trust and Will gives you the option to create documents for either a trust, guardianship or a will -- all at different levels of pricing. They offer a large knowledge base where you cna learn more about wills, trusts, and guardianship (and other topics related to estate planning). Trust and Will also makes it easy to file paperwork as an individual or as a couple for all three of the services they offer. If you're interested in Trust and Will, their pricing starts out at $89 for a will. Try Trust and Will >>.
