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Sunday, May 18th
In 2001, LegalZoom was created to give legal access to anyone and everyone from the comforts of their home. They launched 10 online services focusing on estate planning, intellectual property protection, and business formation.
Independent attorneys and tax advice
In 2010 they added a network of independent attorneys so that customers could get personalized legal advice without having to go into an office. LegalZoom's most recent addition to the company is a service called LZ Tax where people can get accounting solutions and expert tax advice with full service prep and filing. As this company is ever expanding its services, their team of experts continues to grow as well, making it easier than ever to get a professional living trust made with LegalZoom.
Accepted in all 50 states
There are quite a few top-tier online legal services you could use to create a living trust. However, not all of them are accepted in all 50 states like LegalZoom is. To get started with their service, you'll need to create an online account. Next, you'll be guided through a questionnaire that takes about 30 minutes to complete. It includes details about your personal info, property, gifts, and representatives. At the end, your document is ready to be put into effect.
Expensive option
LegalZoom doesn't have any free options when it comes to creating your legal documents with them. A living trust costs anywhere from $279 for a basic package to $399 for the estate plan bundle. All of this may be a bit hard to chew on when there are free options out there. The difference with LegalZoom is that their comprehensive living trust option comes with 2 weeks of legal questions answered by their network of attorneys and a comprehensive review of your document. The estate bundle also includes a living will and financial power of attorney as well as a year of legal advice related to your estate planning (renews annually at $199 but can be canceled at any time).
Phone and chat service
Since you will be spending a bit of money with LegalZoom, we'd like to see some sort of satisfaction guarantee, but they don't have one listed. If you have any concerns, their phone number is listed online and they have a chat that they usually respond to quickly. This is a reputable company that cares about keeping their customers happy, so surely they'll answer any questions you have and work out any issues with your legal documents that you could run into.
Helpful FAQ section
For anyone who knows that making a living trust is important but aren't sure about all the lingo associated with it or have a lot of questions about why it should be done, LegalZoom has a helpful FAQ section. It outlines the differences between a living will and trust, outlines what can and can't be put into a living trust, explains terms like probate, attorney assist, and revocable trust, and more.
Highly recommend
LegalZoom has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, which is great to see. They even have thousands of glowing customer reviews. Customers report that it's well worth the money to get the expert help from LegalZoom's attorneys. There seems to be a lot more one-on-one follow-up from the company about your documents than you'll find from most other companies. LegalZoom's agents are easy to reach and are patient when walking customers through their processes. Without a doubt, most people would recommend using LegalZoom for a living trust.
You're in good hands
If you are someone who wants a little help along the way from a real person when creating your living trust, LegalZoom fits the bill. It's definitely more of a commitment since there's a higher cost associated with their services than some of their competitors. We are reassured by their high customer ratings and recommend Legal Zoom as a reputable company who will take good care of you as you make important decisions for yourself and your loved ones.
While making a living trust may not be on the top of your to-do list, it should be. Not to be confused with a living will, a living trust allows you to manage and distribute your assets both during your lifetime and after you pass away. It goes into effect as soon as it is signed and can give you and your loved ones peace of mind knowing that no one will have to worry about going through a probate process.
Creating a living trust online has seen a significant surge in popularity over the last few years due to several reasons. In addition to being both convenient and inexpensive, online living trusts are easily accessible when needed. In fact, this method of estate planning has revolutionized the way individuals protect their assets and plan for the distribution of their wealth after their passing.
Online living trusts let you create these legal documents from the comfort of your own home, eliminating the need for multiple visits to attorneys' offices and streamlining the entire process.
Another reason people are drawn to online living trust services is the cost factor. Traditional estate planning services can be prohibitively expensive, often with high attorney fees and administrative costs. By contrast, online living trusts provide an affordable alternative, letting you create a legally binding document at a fraction of the cost.
Regardless of your income status, it's important to save your family both time and money by getting things in order with a living trust. Not only will you be able to choose who distributes your property in the event that you become disabled or die, but you'll remain in complete control of all your assets in the meantime.
Another reason to take this legal step is to avoid bank issues, not have to wait on a judge, and protect your own privacy while ensuring that your assets are legally accounted for.
We'll be the first to acknowledge that end-of-life affairs are not fun to think about, let alone spend time taking care of. However, getting it over with will provide immeasurable relief for you and your loved ones and it's much easier than you'd think. There are fantastic online platforms that will walk you through all the steps to creating a living trust without spending hundreds of dollars. Real lawyers will verify the validity of your documents and ensure they meet all necessary legal requirements for a fraction of the cost you might find elsewhere.
Many online legal services have round-the-clock access to customer service agents who will make sure you're taken care of and confident with the process of creating your living trust. When deciding which company to use, take the following things into consideration:
Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the best companies to help you create a living trust. We hope this information helps you take care of your end-of-life affairs without any stress or hassle!
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