Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.
Friday, April 18th
Quicken WillMaker is an estate planning software tool that allows you to create living trusts as well as wills and other legal documents like health care directives, letters to survivors, transfers on death deeds, and more. You can either download their software to your computer or create documents online. The company is owned by Nolo, another option we've reviewed that offers living trusts. WillMaker has been featured by USA Today, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Kiplinger, The New York Times, and Business Insider.
3 bundle options
There are three estate planning bundle options for customers using WillMaker that renew yearly if you want to be able to revise your documents. The starter package for $99 only includes wills, health care directives, and final arrangements, so you will have to upgrade to the "plus” bundle for what you need. The cost of this is $139 and also includes a living trust, durable power of attorney, letter to survivors, transfer on death deed, and downloadable versions for PC and Mac. If you want to go all out, you'll pay $209 for the "all access” bundle that comes with extra documents including limited power of attorney, promissory note, and temporary guardianship authorization.
Vault storage
Something that WillMaker offers with their all access package is vault storage through Everplans so that you can easily share your plans with family, advisors, and close friends. You can create a digital archive where you save passwords, store documents, create funeral wishes, and more. This is something that could be extremely useful, but the downside is that it's only a one-year subscription, so it's likely you'll have to keep paying beyond that.
No customer service info
If you want to save at least a little bit on your purchase from WillMaker, they offer 10% off if you sign up for their emails. Every bit helps, so it might be worth doing it. They also boast that they offer a no-hassle refund policy, but there are no details on this so we can't be sure how it works. From their website, there is no way to contact WillMaker directly, so we are worried that dealing with customer service might be quite a hassle.
Works with 49 states
As with Nolo, you can't use WillMaker's product if you're a resident of Louisiana. Their estate planning laws are quite different from the rest of the country and WillMaker doesn't address the detailed requirements for their state.
Happy users
One of WillMaker's greatest strengths is their customer reviews. There are over 200 reviews, which isn't a ton, but still enough to get a good gauge of how well this company performs. Some people have used WillMaker for years and are pleased with the ease of use, thorough details included in their documents, and more. They don't have their own Better Business Bureau rating, but Nolo does, and it's a solid "A+”.
Not our favorite
WillMaker is definitely an expensive choice when it comes to making a living trust. It comes with more documents than just the living trust, but this may not be necessary for everyone. However, as long as you renew your account each year, WillMaker offers lifetime access to the documents you've created. We aren't a fan of the lack of direct access to customer support for questions or potential software issues without signing up first. Overall, this option may be above and beyond most people's needs for creating a living trust, so they haven't earned one of our best ratings.
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!
Select any 2 Living Trust Services to compare them head to head