Saturday, January 18th
2025 Living Will Service Reviews
LegalShield
- 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.
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.
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.
More Living Will Service Reviews
The 10 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.
Living Will Service FAQ
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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