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The Best Living Will Services

Where is the Best Place to Create a Living Will?

We've all heard of a Will before, but what about a Living Will? This document is a specific legal option that addresses a particular phase of life - when you're approaching the end. If faced with a terminal illness or irreversible coma, decisions regarding life-sustaining or life-ending procedures may become necessary.

The purpose of a Living Will is to establish a premeditated plan, enabling you to make decisions about the preservation of your life if incapacitated. Alternatively, a Living Will also allows you to designate someone to make medical decisions on your behalf (medical power of attorney). And in recent years, online services that can help you create a Living Will have surged in popularity.

Friday, February 14th

2025 Living Will Service Reviews

Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award FreeWill Review 5 Star Rating

FreeWill

5 Star Rating
  • Create a Living Will for free
  • Other major documents also free
  • Helpful FAQ
  • Document bundles offered
  • Includes Trust documents if necessary
  • 90% of ratings are 5 stars
  • Nonprofit organization
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB
Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

Founded by Jenny Xia Spradling and Patrick Schmitt, FreeWill distinguishes itself through its nonprofit business model, making it possible to draft Living Will documents at zero cost. That's right. You don't have to pay a dime for your documents.

Yep - it's free

No matter what documents you create through FreeWill, you won't be charged a fee. While many customers who create their estate plans on FreeWill often decide to donate, there is no requirement to do so. Forbes and The New York Times have recognized this unique approach to estate planning, Living Wills, and other end-of-life considerations.

3-step process

FreeWill offers a simple 3-step process to get started with your Living Will. Keep in mind that FreeWill calls their Living Will documents "Advance Healthcare Directive (AHCD)” which is the same thing functionally as a Living Will.

  1. Complete your documents online. Completing the information required for your AHCD (Living Will) is a quick process, taking only 20 minutes.
  2. Generate printable forms. The details you input are merged with the FreeWill legal forms' precise language, and the resulting AHCD is made available to you in a printable format.
  3. Sign and secure. Make your AHCD official by following the provided instructions for signing and finalizing. Keep your newly created AHCD in a secure yet accessible location, so you or your loved ones can get to the info when it's time.

Detailed help page

FreeWill's "help” page is particularly useful if you've never encountered legal documents before. The help page offers step-by-step assistance to understanding the various services offered by FreeWill as well as general FAQs, troubleshooting, and details for managing your FreeWill account. There are also individual pages for each of the document types depending on which one you're working on. While it's not a full legal library as we've seen at some of FreeWill's competitors, it's a helpful and detailed part of the site that makes sure you can use all the features of FreeWill without worry.

Best Living Will Services

Again - it's 100% free

The cost for FreeWill is exactly as advertised: totally free of charge. You don't have to spend a dime. All of the documents are easy to access, and on top of AHCD (Living Will) documents, you can also create Last Will and Testament, Trust, Power of Attorney, and Beneficiary Designations documents totally free of charge. Since FreeWill makes money through its nonprofit partners and donations, you're not responsible for any of the financial burden.

Insanely good reputation

While most of our sites offer a refund policy, that isn't necessary at FreeWill since the site doesn't charge for its services. Basically, it's zero risk and all rewards with this company. And, just because they don't need to worry about customer profits doesn't mean that FreeWill slacks in the customer service department. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), FreeWill has a perfect score. The company holds an "A+” rating from the BBB as well as accreditation. On top of that FreeWill has a perfect 5-star rating on the BBB site. That extremely stellar reputation is mirrored on other third-party review sites. For example on Trustpilot, FreeWill holds an impressive 4.9-star average rating with well over 3,000 individual reviews to back up the score. In simple terms, FreeWill's reviews are 90% 5 stars.

A no-brainer as our #1

Sometimes when something is "free” it's too good to be true, but that's not the case with FreeWill. At every turn, the company impresses both with its comprehensive documents for Living Wills and other end-of-life concerns, but also with its customer service and reputation. There really aren't any downsides. FreeWill is totally free to use, and according to the 90% approval rating, it's worth every minute you put into your document creation. For this reason, FreeWill overwhelmingly earns 5 stars in our review and the #1 spot for creating a Living Will out there today.

Parting Wishes Review 4.5 Star Rating

Parting Wishes

4.5 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced at $19.99
  • Site storage from $11.95 to $129.95
  • Optional lawyer review
  • Helpful FAQ
  • Legal blogs for extra details
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Document bundles offered
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Parting Wishes is a site designed to help you draft essential documents related to end-of-life concerns. The site focuses on legal concerns like Living Wills, Expatriate Wills, Power of Attorney, and Last Will and Testament as well as helping you to manage digital assets, and even create pet memorials. Established in 2000, Parting Wishes operates as a sister company to the legal form service, US Legal Wills. Despite having a more old-fashioned internet design, PartingWishes offers cost-effective services with distinctive add-on features.

Full package in 20 minutes

Getting started on Parting Wishes is a pretty quick process. Whether crafting a Will, Power of Attorney, or Living Will, you can complete your documents in 20 minutes or less. The site uses a question-and-answer section to help you fill in your Living Will ASAP. The system is simple and easy to follow all the way through to signing the documents. In addition to the Living Will, you can document funeral wishes and organ donation preferences for free. Parting Wishes also allows you (when necessary) to compose final messages to loved ones, which the platform sends out posthumously as a complimentary service.

Competitive cost for documents

Parting Wishes securely stores all created documents on its website, and the site operates on a single purchase model depending on your needs. Those who choose to join with a membership will be able to make free updates to their documents at any time. Now, if you're just looking to create the document, the cost to generate a Living Will at Parting Wishes is $19.95. At this price, you get 1 year of free updates to your document included. You can add an extra year of storage and updates for $11.95, 5 years for $29.95, 10 years for $39.95, 25 years for $79.95, and lifetime storage for $129.95.

Best Living Will Services

Professional legal review

If you want to have a professional legal review of your Living Will, Parting Wishes offers an optional service at $69. As an added bonus, you are able to create a posthumous website about your life or a loved one's, with various storage upgrade choices. Plus, if you're looking for comprehensive documents, you can find a variety of bundles that include all of the documents you need for end-of-life concerns or you can build your own.

Helpful legal blogs

As a resource, Parting Wishes hosts a blog with a variety of regularly updated posts about modern laws in various countries. You can find help for Canadian end-of-life documents, estate planning in England and Wales, and more generic how-tos like how to include a Trust in your Will or details on what a Will executor is for. And, if you can't find what you need on the blog, you can easily type your question into the FAQ part of the site to get more details.

30-day money-back guarantee

Parting Wishes offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on its site. This means that if you're disappointed with the service for any reason, you can get a refund within 30 days. This 100% guarantee policy applies to all of their packages and documents, showing Parting Wishes' commitment to customer satisfaction.

Best Living Will Services

Top scores from the BBB

Parting Wishes holds a perfect "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, there weren't many reviews out there leaving feedback on the company. So, it was hard to gauge how the service has worked on an individual basis. On the other hand, with the 100% money-back guarantee, there's not a lot to lose by giving Parting Wishes a chance.

Strong choice

With an excellent rating due to price and competitive bundles as well as an impressive 100% money-back guarantee, Parting Wishes stands out as a reliable option with no apparent drawbacks. You can trust your document creation with Parting Wishes, and take advantage of a range of unique documents and extras if creating a memorial website is up your alley. For all these reasons, Parting Wishes earns a very high rating.

Rocket Lawyer Review 4.5 Star Rating

Rocket Lawyer

4.5 Star Rating
  • Membership from $19.99 to $39.99/month
  • 7-day free trial
  • Legal blogs for extra details
  • 30-day limited refunds
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Rocket Lawyer can help you with the creation of legal documents such as business contracts, lease agreements, quitclaim deeds, Living Wills, and divorce settlements. Their services are particularly designed to help you if you're unfamiliar with the legal document creation process.

Widely recognized

Rocket Lawyer has gained recognition from media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, CMBC, and Bloomberg Law. They offer a membership-based service, so when you find yourself needing expert legal advice, Rocket Lawyer is equipped to help you with any imaginable concern. Plus, Rocket Lawyer offers a 7-day free trial which could allow someone to create their Living Will document entirely free of charge.

Quick 3-step process

Once you make an account, and either sign up for your free trial or pick a membership, the process of crafting a Living Will through Rocket Lawyer is simplified into three steps:

  1. Select the document you wish to create, and answer straightforward questions.
  2. Save your progress on any device, then download and print your forms at your convenience.
  3. Sign your document online, invite others to sign if necessary, and make it legally valid.

Referring back to your Living Will in your account for future changes is convenient. If you encounter uncertainty during any step, Rocket Lawyer offers a reliable customer service team accessible through email, live chat, or phone.

Best Living Will Services

High cost for monthly membership

In terms of cost, Rocket Lawyer offers a one-week free trial, and after this period, a monthly charge of $19.99/month applies unless canceled. This is the price if charged annually, though (so you'll really be paying $239.88 in one go). Rocket Lawyer also offers a month-to-month payment plan which costs $39 per month. The membership includes unlimited document creation, unlimited legal queries, 30-minute consultations on new legal matters, and attorney hiring discounts.

More DIY than other companies

If you're unfamiliar with legal terms, Rocket Lawyer's legal dictionary proves beneficial, offering clear explanations for hundreds of terms related to creating a Living Will or other legal documents. Free help articles cover various topics, from affidavits to working with a lawyer. However, this service, despite some options for legal help, is mostly DIY. You will need to fill out your Living Will with the relevant information. While you can access legal consultations for assistance, you'll have to do most of the work, which may be more hands-on than you're looking for (especially at nearly $40/month on a membership plan).

Minimal refund policy

There is a 30-day refund policy at Rocket Lawyer, but it's fairly limited. According to their terms of service, Rocket Lawyer will "gladly offer” refunds for mistakes in billing or with documents that have problems during delivery. However, if you don't have a "good reason” (which isn't specified further), Rocket Lawyer will not offer a refund for services you used already (like a complete Living Will document).

Best Living Will Services

Impressive reputation

Rocket Lawyer does have high customer ratings. With praise for its exceptional customer service, user-friendly website, hassle-free cancellation after the free trial, and professional documents, Rocket Lawyer earns a solid "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that, Rocket Lawyer has an impressive rating from third-party review sites like Trustpilot where its average score is 4.7 stars out of 5.

Fan favorite legal site

The high customer ratings and BBB score position Rocket Lawyer as a premier choice for creating Living Wills. But, with a few snags on our radar, it doesn't quite meet the requirements to rank within our top three. While customers loved their experiences, the higher prices and lackluster refund policy could be problematic for some. However, the fast document creation process and truly impressive feedback from customers keep Rocket Lawyer high on our list.

Find Legal Forms Review 4 Star Rating

Find Legal Forms

4 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced at $6.99
  • Optional monthly subscription for $4.99
  • Consistent legal updates
  • Helpful FAQ
  • 60-day money-back guarantee
  • Document bundles offered
  • "A+” rating from the BBB

Find Legal Forms is a smorgasbord of helpful legal forms and features. Included in the numerous legal features on the site is the process of creating a Living Will. Find Legal Forms offers a wide array of personal and business forms, including bankruptcy, divorce, name change, real estate, bills of sale, employment, rentals, notices, and more. The platform was established in 2001 by two California attorneys who hoped to create affordable access to frequently used forms. The forms provided by Find Legal Forms are attorney-prepared and consistently updated to include evolving state laws.

Quick and easy form downloads

Getting started at Find Legal Forms is simple. All you have to do to find the forms you need is to use the handy search bar. This offers suggestions based on the kind of forms you're searching for, so you can find an exact match. Once you find the Living Will form, select your state and pay a small fee to download the forms you want. Upon processing payment, you'll gain immediate access to the forms through a "Thank You" page, featuring download links. The best part? You can utilize forms multiple times for personal or business purposes, as long as you don't sell or redistribute them to others. The only downside is attorney review after creating your document isn't included in the purchase.

Single-purchase and bundles

Find Legal Forms offers Living Will forms at a budget-friendly cost of $6.99 which includes a free eSignature feature, so you can quickly sign your forms online without the need for printing. As an added benefit, Find Legal Forms offers "combo packages," which are deals on forms related to your selected document. For instance, alongside a Living Will form, you can bundle a Health Care Forms Combo package starting at $39.95. This bundle includes forms related to organ donation, a Living Will, and health care power of attorney, so you can cover all your bases in one go. If you're expecting to need ongoing access to legal documents, Find Legal Forms has a $4.99/month subscription available at checkout. But for most customers, single-purchase is all you'll need.

User-friendly site with detailed FAQs

While there aren't as many on-site legal resources here as with some competitors, Find Legal Forms' FAQ page has detailed descriptions on how to use, download, and sign the documents. Further, these details are offered on each document's listing page, so you can feel confident in what you're downloading. User-friendliness is one of the major perks of Find Legal Forms.

Best Living Will Services

60-day money-back guarantee

Find Legal Forms has an impressive policy for customer support. The company offers a 100% money-back guarantee on all its forms. If you are dissatisfied with your Living Will documents or any other purchased form, Find Legal Forms offers a 60-day window to request a full refund.

Customers love the user-friendliness

Find Legal Forms holds an "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau. Plus, the platform avoids red flags associated with customer dissatisfaction, dubious subscriptions, or outdated legal forms. On trusted third-party review sites like Trustpilot, Find Legal Forms has an impressive 4.3-star average out of 5 stars. According to reviewers, Find Legal Forms is extremely easy to use, and most customers love the fact that there are no long-term commitments. Further, customers praised the quality of the documents and effectiveness in most, if not all, states.

Solid low-cost option

Although there is no provision for attorney review after creating a Living Will, Find Legal Forms stands out as a commendable choice for online Living Will creation, especially for those who don't need that extra layer of professional attention. If you're looking for a straightforward single purchase service and a user-friendly fill-out and signing process, Find Legal Forms is a solid choice overall. The prices are highly competitive and since all the documents are specialized by state, you can be sure the information is accurate and up to date for your area. With all this considered, Find Legal Forms earns a high rating in our review.

LegalZoom Review 4 Star Rating

LegalZoom

4 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced from $39 to $49
  • Package options up to $249
  • Legal advice from $14.99 to $199/month
  • Thousands of 5-star ratings
  • Complete forms in 15 minutes
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Established in 1999, LegalZoom is a valuable resource that strives to make legal assistance accessible to a wide audience. Having assisted over 4 million customers with a variety of legal documents and concerns, LegalZoom offers Living Wills along with other legal documents. One standout of LegalZoom is its wide variety of packages that help your Living Will match up with your individual needs.

Getting started in 15 minutes or less

The process of creating a Living Will on LegalZoom is user-friendly, similar to other platforms in our review. At the start, you are guided through a series of questions. Usually, you start by specifying your state of residence to make sure the Living Will will adhere to any legal requirements for your area. All of the questions in the survey can be answered for free, and at the end of the process, you can see prices and make a decision on your purchase. Most customers can complete their Living Will at LegalZoom in 15 minutes or less.

Prices from $39

LegalZoom provides multiple options for attorney advice. The basic cost for a do-it-yourself Living Will with unlimited revisions for 30 days is $39. For an additional $10, you can include attorney assistance in the process of creating your Living Will. This includes legal advice for two weeks after the purchase. After that legal advice, covering any topic, renews at $14.99 monthly. Another package, starting at $249, includes a Living Will, Financial Power of Attorney, and a choice between a Last Will or a Living Trust. This package includes one year of legal questions related to estate planning and unlimited document revisions. If you want extra legal feedback after this point, the advice portion of the purchase will renew at $199/month.

No resources on site

Unlike some of the other companies in our review, LegalZoom doesn't have a comprehensive resource page or legal library. This was disappointing as many of the legal terms on the site are a little complex. While the FAQ page is pretty useful, we would love to see more references for customers that relate to different legal topics. Unfortunately, at LegalZoom, you may be left looking elsewhere for that guidance.

Best Living Will Services

No refund policy

While some platforms offer a satisfaction guarantee for their forms, LegalZoom does not. However, as you can review documents before purchasing, any concerns are likely to be minimal. For queries or concerns, LegalZoom provides a customer care phone number and accepts questions via email. However, this is fairly disappointing as most of the other companies in our review offered a guarantee or refund policy of some kind.

Top tier reputation

On the bright side, you may not ever need to worry about getting a refund at LegalZoom. With over 6,000 positive reviews and an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, this service gets lots of love from clients. And its reputation is solid across platforms. For example, on Trustpilot, where LegalZoom has over 3,000+ individual reviews, the company holds an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. Comments include praise for LegalZoom's customer service team, professional contracts, and ease of use. Many of the customers who left reviews for LegalZoom noted that they were return customers, who had purchased more than one legal packet from LegalZoom over the years.

Great option for those looking for advice

Despite being slightly pricier than other alternatives, the overwhelmingly positive customer feedback positions LegalZoom as an excellent choice for creating a Living Will. The extremely high "A+" rating and solid feedback from customers are bonuses, too. For this reason, we award it a solid rating in our review and highly recommend it as a reliable and professional place to start working on your Living Will, especially if you're looking to talk to legal professionals or don't want to completely DIY your documents.

Law Depot Review 3.5 Star Rating

Law Depot

3.5 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced at $29
  • Monthly subscription for $8.99 (billed yearly) or $35 (billed monthly)
  • Law Library on site
  • 30-day refunds for some plans
  • Document bundles offered
  • "A+” rating from the BBB

LawDepot offers online Living Will services that stand out for the extensive selection of legal forms that surpass what many competitors provide. LawDepot offers helpful alphabetical searching, to help you narrow down hundreds of customizable legal documents, forms, and contracts. The company emphasizes the swift creation of Living Wills, asserting that the process can be completed in just 5-10 minutes.

Get started with a questionnaire

Getting a Living Will from LawDepot involves a series of straightforward questions, primarily structured in a "yes" or "no" format, including details about your preferences for medical care in terminal conditions. While there are a few fill-in-the-blank prompts for personal information, the overall questionnaire is concise and able to be completed within 5-10 minutes. A progress bar keeps you informed about your completion status. However, prices aren't listed upfront. You'll have to go through the quiz process before seeing any numbers.

Online legal library

During the Living Will creation process, you'll benefit from a thorough explanation of the document. The platform provides insights into the need for a Health Care Directive, the range of medical decisions covered by a Living Will, instructions for making changes, and more. All of this is available as you fill out the Living Will document questionnaire. LawDepot also features a free, searchable law library and articles on finance, real estate, business, and family matters related to legal documents, making it one of the most informative platforms for assistance.

Best Living Will Services

Best priced if you can use a free trial

LawDepot offers three pricing options. Pricing at LawDepot is more expensive than many competitors unless you're able to complete and print your Living Will during the one-week free trial. You'll need to create a free account to save and reference your documents.

  • You've got a one-week free trial, which will update to a cost of $35/month once the free trial is over unless you cancel your account.
  • Alternatively, you can opt for a pay-per-document plan, where a Living Will costs $29, offering unlimited edits, revisions, prints, and downloads over 5 years.
  • The third choice is a one-year subscription to LawDepot at a rate of $8.99/month, but you have to prepay for an entire year to access it.

30-day refunds for annual plan

LawDepot doesn't offer a particularly helpful refund policy. According to the site's terms and conditions, LawDepot is "not obligated” to offer refunds for the cost of monthly payments (after the free trial). Further, you won't qualify for a refund for your renewal fee if you didn't notify LawDepot before the renewal period getting charged to your account. The only payment type that can be eligible for a refund is the annual subscription. But you must ask for your refund within 30 days of purchase. Compared to other more robust refund policies, LawDepot doesn't seem to be as customer-focused as its competitors.

Best Living Will Services

Solid reputation with mixed reviews

Despite an impressive "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), LawDepot shows mixed reviews. There are 68 reviews on the BBB profile resulting in a 1.8 out of 5-star rating. On the other hand, there are 4,000+ reviews from customers on other platforms, like Trustpilot, that express satisfaction with the service. Customers on Trustpilot rated LawDepot 4.4 stars out of 5. Common complaints on the BBB profile are related to post-trial charges, with some customers expressing frustration after forgetting to cancel their subscriptions. However, the positive feedback shows that customers feel that LawDepot has reasonable pricing, helpful chat support, a professional attitude towards customers, and a user-friendly interface.

Impressive documents but less competitive refunds

Despite the lack of upfront pricing details, LawDepot remains a recommended platform for creating Living Wills and other legal documents. On the other hand, with its less robust refund policy, and a handful of mixed reviews, LawDepot falls a little behind companies that offer those features, especially the refunds.

Trust & Will Review 3.5 Star Rating

Trust & Will

3.5 Star Rating
  • Living Will packages from $159 to $699
  • Full packages with Trusts and major documents
  • Legal blogs for extra details
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Trust & Will is a site that makes estate planning a simple and affordable process. Despite its focus on end-of-life preparations, this San Diego-based company has a modern touch and youthful spirit. The company got started in 2018 and has since rapidly grown. Featured by notable platforms like TechCrunch, Inc., Forbes, The New York Times, Entrepreneur, and USA Today, Trust & Will has established itself as a reliable Living Will service in the industry.

Getting started with the click of a button

There are only two options to choose from at Trust & Will which (predictably) are a Trust and a Will document. Getting started is as easy as pressing the "Start your Will” button, which is available on most pages of the website. From there, you'll be asked to create an account with Trust & Will before continuing with document creation. Once you're finished with the process, you can instantly download your completed Will or request a free shipment of a paper copy. A notary is required to finalize the Will.

Best Living Will Services

Two all-inclusive packages

You can create a Will for $159 for an individual or $259 for a couple. While these prices are higher than their competitors, Trust & Will's packages are all-inclusive.

  • The "Will" package includes a Living Will and covers a range of crucial aspects, such as designating caregivers for children and pets, specifying asset distribution, outlining medical emergency preferences, and appointing health care agents. This package comes with documents for Last Will and Testament, HIPAA authorization, Living Will, and Power of Attorney.
  • If you opt for the "Trust” package, you'll be looking at $599 for an individual or $699 for a couple. The Trust package includes extra documents like Revocable Living Trust, Schedule of Assets, Trust Funding Guide, and Certification of Trust along with the same Living Will and other documents found in the Will package.

Learn tab is useful for legal tips

Trust & Will has an impressive library of legal help on the site. Under the "Learn” tab, you'll find a variety of blogs and useful tips and tricks as well as an option to sign up for the Trust & Will newsletter. This way, you can keep apprised of any changes or updates in the legal system as you create your Will documents.

30-day money-back guarantee

Should customers be dissatisfied for any reason within 30 days, Trust & Will offers a full refund upon contacting customer support. Considering the high cost of the packages, this is a welcome perk offered by Trust & Will. So, this way, if you feel like you want to give this all-inclusive package a try, you won't be out $100+ if you change your mind or aren't satisfied with the experience.

Best Living Will Services

Top-rated and easy to use

Despite being a relatively new company in the industry, Trust & Will has earned an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). On top of that, Trust & Will holds an impressive 4.6-star average across third-party review sites with over 3,000 individual reviews on Trustpilot alone. So, it's clear that Trust & Will is both a favorite with customers. Clients noted that the Will creation process was simple. The customizable parts of the Will were detailed and easy to create, which was a bonus for many who didn't have prior experience with legal documents of any kind.

Solid option, but a little pricey

Trust & Will has effectively established itself as a reliable service for thorough estate planning beyond the creation of a Living Will. While the prices are much higher at the start, you are getting a complete package of end-of-life documents that fulfill all the major requirements and concerns should an accident or end-of-life event arise. But, the higher price may keep this option from being viable for some customers; so, for that reason it earns a good rating rather than a higher score in our review. However, if the price isn't a concern, this site is modern, easy to use, and full of useful tips and tricks to guide you through the process of a Living Will.

LegalShield Review 3 Star Rating

LegalShield

3 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced at $24 to $29 /month
  • Membership model only
  • Legal directory on site
  • 15-day refunds
  • "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Established in 1976 as Prepaid Legal, the company now holding the name LegalShield provides more than just Living Wills. LegalShield offers consultations with practicing attorneys about personal legal matters without the burden of high legal fees.

Access to quality law firms

With over 1.7 million members and 39 provider law firms, LegalShield offers accessibility to quality law firms 24/7. The platform has gained recognition from Forbes, Yahoo Finance, HuffPost, Law360, and The Hill. While LegalShield's costs may exceed those of other reviewed companies, it offers more than just document creation. Subscribers gain access to a law firm in their state with a price that covers advice and consultation, Last Will & Testament, Power of Attorney, Living Will, and annual updates.

Getting started in two clicks

LegalShield emphasizes the significance of Living Wills for individuals of any age or health condition. And, fortunately, there's not much to do to get started at LegalShield. The company has just two plan options for individuals to choose from. These are easy to find on the top navigation bar of the site. With just one or two clicks, you can be ready to select the best plan for your Living Will. One great feature at LegalShield is transparency. While there's only a difference of a few dollars between the two plans, the differences are clearly marked in how often you pay and how much you save.

Best Living Will Services

Pay monthly or annually

LegalShield's plans for personal or family use range from $24.95 to $29.95 per month. The main difference between the two is that one is billed monthly and the other is billed annually. Otherwise, the features (which include family members, 24/7 legal help, and the LegalShield scheduling app) are identical.

Three different kinds of resources

LegalShield hosts an engaging blog covering various topics related to current events or specific legal situations. The blog provides insights into adoption, billing disputes, guardianship, home buying, identity theft, taxes, traffic violations, and more. There is also an online legal directory if you're looking for a referral to a lawyer that is one of LegalShield's partners. Further, with a comprehensive "how it works” section, you can read through the ins and outs of LegalShield so you can feel 100% comfortable about what you're getting out of the service.

Refund policy somewhat unclear

LegalShield allows you to request a refund within 15 days of the date you purchased your membership. While the fate of a Living Will post-cancellation is not explicitly outlined on the platform, we presume that subscribers retain their documents but lose the ability to make further changes through LegalShield. However, we would love a little more transparency regarding LegalShield's refund policy. If the case arises that you need to make changes to your legal documents, you may need to get another membership with LegalShield or look for help from another provider.

Best Living Will Services

Mixed messages on the BBB site

User feedback suggests LegalShield may not suit everyone's needs. While positive reviews suggest LegalShield offers services with responsive law firms and a straightforward process, there's definitely mixed feedback. On the one hand, LegalShield holds an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, on the BBB there are two major red flags. First, LegalShield only has a 1.5-star rating out of 5 with a host of complaints on the site. On top of that, there is a "current alert” out on the BBB for LegalShield. The alert states that LegalShield has "a pattern of complaints concerning service, contract, advertising, refund/exchange, billing/collections, and customer service.”

Better news from customer reviews

On the other hand, when we checked other third-party review sites like Trustpilot, the news was completely different. With a 4-star average rating of over 4,000+ reviews, LegalShield appears to be a favorite among recent commenters. This mix in feedback is hard to judge and may mean that you might want to reach out to LegalShield and gather more details for yourself before committing.

Best for customers who want long-term legal help

LegalShield's extensive services and the commitment of nearly $24 to $29 per month for long-term access to a law firm may exceed the requirements of most customers trying to create a simple Living Will. Considering the mixed reviews and the lackluster (only 15 days) return policy, we hesitate to rate LegalShield as highly as some of the lower-cost, higher-rated companies in our review. For this reason, it earns an average rating overall, though it has great features for those looking for on-call legal representation or something more long-term in addition to Living Will creation.

WillMaker Review 2.5 Star Rating

WillMaker

2.5 Star Rating
  • Membership priced from $99 to $209
  • Helpful FAQ
  • 30-day money-back guarantee for parent company
  • Document bundles offered
  • "A+” rating for parent company

Owned by the popular finance company Nolo (and supported by Quicken software), WillMaker assists you in crafting an estate plan as well as other end-of-life documents at your convenience. The "interview” process (their version of Q&A to get your document details) guides you through each step. With WillMaker's online software, you can choose between three different plans to generate wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, and more for everyone in your immediate family.

Tons of documents in one membership

Getting started at WillMaker is simple. You just need to pick between one of the three plans for the WillMaker annual membership. This will give you access to the following documents with WillMaker:

  • Comprehensive Will
  • Health Care Directives
  • Final Arrangements
  • Durable Power of Attorney
  • Letter to Survivors
  • Living Trust
  • Transfer on Death Deed

Resources are for WillMaker docs only

WillMaker offers an entire page called "Legal Manual” which covers any questions you might have about the creation of your documents through WillMaker. One feature they didn't have was a comprehensive legal library as seen from some competitors. In this case, most of the online resources for WillMaker are directly related to their processes, programs, and documents.

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Three plans to choose from

There are three annual membership tiers to choose from at WillMaker. They each offer different levels of access and different documents, so if you just need access to Living Will (encompassed under the Comprehensive Will category), you can grab the cheapest option. Despite only offering yearly fees, the prices are comparable to some of the companies that offer monthly plans.

  • Starter Plan: $99
    • Wills
    • Health Care Directives
    • Final Arrangements
  • Plus Plan: $139
    • All documents from the Starter Plan
    • Durable Power of Attorney
    • Letter to Survivors
    • Living Trust
    • Transfer on Death Deed
    • Downloadable WillMaker program
  • All Access Plan: $209
    • All documents and features from the Plus Plan
    • Access to new documents, including Limited Power of Attorney, Promissory Notes, and Temporary Guardianship Authorization
    • One year subscription to Everplans, including a document organizer, secure document storage, and sharing with trusted advisors

Unclear refund policy

While WillMaker itself doesn't offer a refund policy, its parent company, Nolo, has a 30-day window for processing refunds. However, as none of the fine print talks about WillMaker on Quicken's site, it's unclear whether this refund window applies to WillMaker or not. It may be smart to check in with WillMaker's customer service before putting down your cash on their documents, just to be safe.

Solid reputation...

WillMaker itself doesn't have a page on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Instead, we had to rely on WillMaker's parent company, Nolo, to get a basic idea of the business as a whole. Nolo has an "A+” rating from the BBB, though the company only shows a 1.5-star average out of 5 from reviewers on the BBB. Thankfully, we were able to find reviews specifically for WillMaker on Trustpilot. The news is better there. WillMaker has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

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...but not as popular

However, there were just over 200 total comments at the time of our review, which may point to WillMaker being far less popular than some of the companies we researched. Many of WillMakers' competitors have thousands of individual reviews to back up their ratings, so to have so few reviews raises some questions about WillMaker's popularity.

Mid-tier service

WillMaker is a solid option, but compared to some of the truly stellar companies in our review, WillMaker doesn't impress as much. While it has competitive prices and plenty of documents to help you with all of your end-of-life needs, the lack of a clear refund policy as well as a low number of reviews (and no individual BBB page for WillMaker) sets this company back against much stronger competitors. For this reason, WillMaker gets a slightly below average rating rather than a higher rating overall.

US Legal Wills Review 2 Star Rating

US Legal Wills

2 Star Rating
  • Living Will priced at $19.99
  • Site storage from $11.95 to $129.95
  • Optional lawyer review
  • Helpful FAQ
  • Legal blogs for extra details
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Document bundles offered

US Legal Wills is a platform dedicated to assisting you in creating crucial documents for any legal situation that might arise. Included in this platform are a variety of documents about end-of-life matters such as Living Wills, Expatriate Wills, Power of Attorney, and Last Will and Testament. US Legal Wills functions as a sister company to the service Parting Wishes, which focuses entirely on end-of-life documents. US Legal Wills offers a wider selection overall, but much of the same content and pricing as its sister site where the Living Will is concerned.

Easy process with questionnaire

Crafting your complete package on US Legal Wills is a breeze, taking just 20 minutes or less. Whether you're working on your Will, Power of Attorney, or Living Will, the site's question-and-answer section guides you through the process. Depending on the package you choose, you can get some of the same benefits as at US Legal Wills' sister site like personalized posthumous messages or an online "digital vault” to store all of your important documents safely.

Competitive costs for single documents

US Legal Wills provides competitive pricing for your document. If you're solely interested in document creation, generating a Living Will at US Legal Wills costs $19.95 (the same price as its sister site). This price includes one year of free updates. For additional years of storage and updates, you can choose from different plans: $11.95 for one year, $29.95 for five years, $39.95 for ten years, $79.95 for 25 years, and $129.95 for lifetime storage. If you prefer a professional legal review of your Living Will, US Legal Wills offers an optional service for $69. There are also a variety of packages or bundles that include multiple documents and features in one. These range from $49.95 to $129.95.

Variety of helpful resources

As a resource, US Legal Wills hosts a blog featuring regularly updated posts about modern laws in various countries. You'll find general how-tos and details about how to sign, and what to do after signing. If you can't find the information you're looking for on the blog, you can conveniently enter your question into the FAQ section of the site to receive more help.

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30-day money-back guarantee

Like its sister site, US Legal Wills provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This means that if you're dissatisfied with the service for any reason, you can receive a refund within 30 days. This 100% guarantee policy applies to all of their packages and documents, demonstrating US Legal Wills' dedication to customer satisfaction.

Mid-tier reputation with some complaints

One place where US Legal Wills differs from its sister site is in reputation. As one of the few companies on our list that have something less than an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau, US Legal Wills falls behind the pack. Holding just a "B” rating from the BBB as well as a listed "pattern of complaint” on its BBB page knocks US Legal Wills down in our ratings. The complaint pattern is related to unnecessary membership charges and a high level of difficulty for customers to obtain refunds.

Not impressive in comparison

Since US Legal Wills isn't doing anything different from its sister site in terms of documents and cost, it doesn't earn our recommendation. While it does offer 30-day refunds, according to the reviews and a complaint alert on the BBB, there are regular problems with obtaining those refunds, which is concerning. While its sister site is one of our top rated companies, US Legal Wills lags behind with a mid-tier "B” rating from the BBB. For this reason, as well as the complaints, US Legal Wills gets a lower overall rating in our review. If you're looking for a Living Will specifically, you're better off with one of the higher rated companies instead.

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Continued from above...

While you can create a Living Will at any point in your life, it is advisable to create one while of sound mind, without a life-threatening situation in the background. So for many, it can be something you prepare years and years in advance with no real need for the document anytime in the near future. This proactive step provides both you and your loved ones peace of mind in case of an unforeseen emergency, where emotions run high, and life takes an unexpected turn.

Contemplating these matters might not be the most enjoyable task, and if you're just getting started, the process can seem very complex. This is one of the reasons not everyone has a Living Will. But with so many online platforms making it quick and easy to put together, you can now find an affordable way to put together all of the documents you might need for end-of-life concerns. Plus, with these online services, you don't need to find a local lawyer to help you through the process. Legal help is usually included in the fees.

Modern sites have made it possible to create a Living Will from the comfort of your own home. An online Living Will service guides you through a systematic process, prompting you to provide the necessary information to cover all aspects of the Living Will comprehensively. The process aims to instill confidence in creating your Living Will, ensuring no critical steps are overlooked. Some providers even offer round-the-clock customer service to address any questions that may arise as well as appointments with and reviews by professional lawyers.

Even with the ease of online creation for Living Wills, there are a lot of options out there. While exploring the array of online Living Will services, consider these crucial aspects to help you narrow down what you need:

  • Pricing. As you won't be engaging directly with lawyers (unless you opt in for additional services), it's essential to locate a Living Will creation service that offers affordability. Before enrolling with any service, you'll want to see if the services offer one-time payments or monthly plans. Some even offer annual payments, so it will be important to decide how much help you need and what you need to pay for.
  • Reputation. Make sure you check out each company's credentials. What scores do they have with the Better Business Bureau? How do the different services stack up in the customer reviews? If other customers just like you are happy (or unhappy) it can help you make a more informed decision.
  • Guidance and resources. The process of crafting your Living Will should be clear and uncomplicated at the site that you choose. Legal terminology can be overwhelming, particularly for those unfamiliar with the terms. The top companies recognize this and provide supportive resources such as articles, access to customer service, legal dictionaries, and FAQs to guide you through the process seamlessly.

With something as important as life and medical decisions, you don't want to leave it up to chance. To help keep the future low-stress for you or your family members, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best online legal services to assist you in creating a Living Will. It's our goal to help provide the peace of mind you need as you undertake this important task!

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Living Will Service FAQ

A living will, also known as an advance healthcare directive, is a legal document that specifies your medical wishes in the event you become incapacitated. It lets physicians know what kind of life-saving measures you want taken if you warrant life support or other extreme medical intervention. A living will can also outline preferences for pain medication and organ donation.
To use a legal service and create a living will, you should expect to pay around $40. Some services allow you access to their platform for a monthly fee where you can create hundreds of different documents like prenuptials, loan agreements, eviction notices, partnership agreements, quitclaim deeds, and more. Other services let you select the type of legal document you need and pay a flat fee for its creation.
A living will lets you make medical decisions for yourself while you're of a sound mind. No one knows you better than yourself, so a living will gives you the control to be taken care of the way you want. Oftentimes family members choose to go to extreme measures to prolong the life of a loved one, even if they have no chance of recovery or leading a productive life again. With a living will, you take the pressure away from family members and doctors who are left having to choose how your life-saving medical treatments should go.
Anyone who is at least 18 years old and of a sound mind can create a living will. A sound mind means you are able to understand the benefit, risk, and effect of signing the document. Regardless of your gender, race, medical history, or financial situation, you can easily have your living will written up online.
It's a good idea for everyone to have a living will. As unpleasant as it is to think about, you never know when you may be in an accident or diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. These things might make it so you can't think clearly enough to make medical decisions for yourself, so it's a good idea to have a living will written up. It takes effect as soon as you sign it and never expires.
Every state has its own rules about what can be carried out in a living will. Regardless of what you add to your living will, medical professionals can only carry it out if it honors state laws. Some examples of what situations might be outlined in a living will are terminal illness or injury, needing life support, and permanent unconsciousness.
You can make changes to your living will if you destroy your original one. Rather than making edits, it is best practice to create an entirely new living will if you need adjustments made. Be sure to let your healthcare representative and family members know about the changes and where to find your living will in case of an emergency.
One of the first steps you can take to make sure your living will is carried out is to let your family members and health care representatives know that it exists. As long as the living will is in harmony with local state laws and regulations, it is a legally binding document. If you present your living will to a physician who does not want to carry it out because of conflicting ethical or religious beliefs, it is best to transfer to a new doctor who is able to follow everything outlined in the document.

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