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Creating a will can be a stressful and costly experience. Reports show that less than half of Americans have a will in place. But it is possible to create a real, legally binding will without the hassle of finding a lawyer in person or paying exorbitant legal fees. Online will services are the way to go if you want to create your will in the comfort of your own home with no pressure or stress.
Online will services provide a faster, more affordable method that can get you a working will in minutes. So what are will services? Generally, online will services will help you build your will with step-by-step questions without overwhelming you with legal jargon. Some will services will also allow you to revise your will once you've created it. This can help give you peace of mind if you want to have a will early on in life.
Tuesday, February 18th
Rocket Lawyer is a service that offers custom creation for a variety of different legal documents, including wills. You can find business agreements, divorce settlements, and even copyright paperwork. This service is particularly useful for customers who have never worked with legal documents before, and it's well known for its popularity with publications like The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Law. Rocket Lawyer is designed as a membership site, but you can get plenty done during the trial period - essentially an opportunity to create your will for free.
Start by filling in the blanks
You'll find the will documents at Rocket Lawyer under the estate planning section of the website. Before you get started, you'll need to select your state of residence so that the final will is legal where you reside. As you go through the questions, you'll see a live updating preview of your final will below. You can see exactly what you're getting during every step of the process. Rocket Lawyer will ask about your spouse and family first. You can add a clause that will handle the process if you and your spouse name different beneficiaries in your wills. There is also a section for excluding or disinheriting someone in your will. Further questions include if you have life insurance, if you want to make specific bequests, whether you want to include any digital assets in your bequests, what specific percentages of your estate will go to your beneficiaries, whether you have any pets (or want to provide for those pets), what your special directives are, and who will be your executor. Finally, you'll be asked to add the names and information of your selected witnesses.
Two plans with 7-day free trials
There is only one will on Rocket Lawyer, and it is extremely thorough. You can also find a range of other estate management documents, so you can take care of everything for your family all in one place. There are two different subscription plans to choose from to access these documents. Rocket Lawyer has a monthly plan for RocketLegal which includes your will, RocketSign (Rocket Lawyers' online signing process that makes the document legal), the ability to ask a lawyer questions or get your will reviewed at no cost, and unlimited access to all of Rocket Lawyer's documents. The other option is RocketLegal+ which includes the same features as RocketLegal but also includes discounts for tax prep services, business formation, registered agent services, trademark applications with an attorney, and attorney advice on any issue. Both include a 7-day free trial.
Pricing from $19.99 to $39.99 per month
The pricing is broken down into either a monthly payment of $39.99 for RocketLegal or $239.88 per year for RocketLegal+. In either case, you can complete your will with legal help. For most cases, the monthly plan will be enough without needing to pay for an entire year. However, if you plan to create multiple estate planning documents, the annual plan shakes out to around $19.99 per month, making it the more affordable option if you plan to use the service long-term. But, with the 7-day free trial it is also possible to get your entire will done and downloaded for free.
30-day return for some cases
Rocket Lawyer offers a 30-day refund option, but there are some restrictions. Rocket Lawyer will offer you a refund on the condition that there are billing or delivery issues with your document. However, you won't be able to access the refund if you've completed your will and downloaded it. So, if you pay for the service and decide to cancel without downloading your will, this would be the only case where a refund would apply.
Solid customer service
Rocket Lawyer is highly rated by customers who appreciate the responsive lawyers and support team. Rocket Lawyer currently holds an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau as well as a 4.5-star average rating on the BBB. From third-party review sites like Trustpilot, Rocket Lawyer has a solid 4.6-star average. Reviewers agree that this is one of the easiest sites to complete full and legally binding documents. Feedback particularly praised the fact that customers could get legal help for their documents; many were able to complete their necessary files during the 7-day free trial, and didn't pay anything for the Rocket Lawyer service.
Best site for thorough will and competitive costs
Rocket Lawyer is a solid one-stop shop no matter how you look at it. With plenty of documents on file to help you with planning your estate, as well as an incredibly thorough will, you won't be disappointed with your final will if you choose this service. The subscription plan isn't overly costly, but you'll likely be able to finish the entire document before the 7-day free trial ends. For this reason, Rocket Lawyer is our top pick for your will. The level of detail, inclusion of witnesses, and e-signing make this will service one of the best on the market (whether you pay or not), earning Rocket Lawyer a full 5 stars overall.
Owned by Gerber Life (yep, the Gerber baby company), Fabric is a 100% free service for creating a digital will, promising to help you finish your will in just 5 minutes without any costs at all. Designed for young families who want to protect their children and assets early on, this easy process promises you the security of a will no matter where you're at in life. Co-founded by Adam Erlebacher and Stephen Surgnier, Fabric helps families think ahead or helps them prepare for next steps in the near future.
Create your will in 5 minutes
To create your free will on Fabric, you just need to click the "get started” button on the main page. The site will take you to a form that only requires about 5 minutes to complete. Fabric asks you a series of questions about you and your situation to make sure your will fits your upcoming needs. For example, Fabric asks you to select all that apply to you from the following list:
From there, Fabric will ask for your personal information and email to create an account. If you don't have children, you will be asked right away to name a beneficiary. Fabric will also ask if you want to make a second will for your spouse or just email your will to your spouse at the end of the process. Next, Fabric asks about leaving any bequests, and who you would like to select as your executor. The last section is for final arrangements like resting place, ceremony, and any special requests for that process.
Full will with witness assistance
There's only one will available on Fabric, and it covers all of the important aspects like appointing a guardian and beneficiaries for your kids, final arrangements, and shareable documents so you can send them to all the important parties. Fabric will also help you make your will legally binding (and walk you through the process when you're ready to do so), offering to email your two desired witnesses in order to get the witnessing process started.
100% free will services
The pricing is the most impressive part of Fabric because there is none. We completed the process for creating a will and instantly got an email with our will and steps to get it notarized in our state. There was no charge, and you can update your will through Fabric at any time (but you will need to get it re-witnessed and re-notarized if you make changes).
Additional features
On top of a will, you can also secure term life insurance, investment accounts for your kids, home warranty protection, and pet insurance from Fabric. So, if you're looking for ways to support your family's financial future, this is a great one-stop shop to check out. You do need to pay for these features, but they come highly rated, and you can pick and choose what you do and don't need.
Reviews are fantastic
No matter where you look, Fabric has a stellar reputation. The Better Business Bureau shows a full "A+” rating and accreditation. From Trustpilot, we found that Fabric has a 4.8-star average with thousands of reviews to back up that score. Customers praise the ease of use on the platform. The instructions were simple, and the information wasn't overly complex or filled with legal jargon. Reviewers especially loved the helpful tips on getting the will legally notarized, so they felt 100% able to complete the process alone.
No downsides to this free service
With its services being 100% free, there's no downside to using Fabric to get the ball rolling with your will. It includes all the major considerations, from beneficiaries to final resting place, as well as support for getting your will witnessed and notarized to be legal within your state. While some customers might want a little more hands-on approach, if you're comfortable completing the work without a lawyer, this is the best (and free) pick for your will. For this reason, it earns an excellent rating in our review.
Founded in 1999, LegalZoom is a site where legal help is accessible to everyone. Currently supporting over 4 million customers, LegalZoom has a wide range of legal documents ready to fill out, including wills and estate planning. Whether you want a single document or a package to support your family's future, LegalZoom has a variety of options and price points to choose from. This is a great will service if you're seeking a straightforward, personalized will.
Purchase required before you fill out the forms
To start your will on LegalZoom, you need to select a package. Once you've decided among the four options available, you'll be asked a series of questions to help give you the right documents (and ensure they are legally binding in your state). However, before you can fill out the documents properly, you will have to pay, and there isn't a preview on LegalZoom like we've seen on a few other sites.
Individual and couples' wills
LegalZoom offers a few different options for its will documents. First, you can find two individual wills: the Basic and the Premium. In the Basic will, you can expect last will and testament documents, a healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, 30 days of free revisions, and the printing and shipping of your documents. If you go with Premium, you'll get all of the features of Basic but also be able to access an attorney to review your documents, unlimited 30-minute attorney calls for 1 year, attorney advice for your family, and 1 year of free revisions. If you have a spouse or wish to create a document as a couple, LegalZoom offers the same two packages: Basic and Premium. The only difference here is that the Basic plan offers doubles of each of the documents (2 wills, 2 healthcare directives, 2 financial powers of attorney, 2 HIPAA authorizations). Otherwise, outside of pricing, the individual and couple plans are identical.
Pricing from $99 to $349
The pricing for the different will plans is a one-time payment, but it lasts you up to a year depending on the option you choose. Here's what you can expect from LegalZoom:
While these aren't the lowest prices out there, if you want a full package of documents in one go, the cost is fairly competitive. Plus, with legal assistance, you're still coming in far below standard legal fees. The only drawback is that these fees only cover one year before you need to pay again (but it isn't a subscription that auto-renews).
60-day return policy
LegalZoom offers a guarantee that allows you a refund within 60 days as long as your order (the will) hasn't been completed or is not yet available for download. If you have completed the document, you have 7 days to request a refund. This policy is helpful, given the higher-than-average price point for the will services at LegalZoom, and offers some protection since you can't see the documents before you buy.
Solid reputation and simple process
LegalZoom's stellar reputation speaks for itself, with thousands of positive reviews and an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. Trustpilot users also rate LegalZoom highly, averaging 4.3 stars out of 5 with over 5,000 individual reviews. Customers appreciate LegalZoom's knowledgeable support, well-crafted documents, and simple navigation that makes filling out their wills or other legal forms a breeze. Many of the reviews note that customers return to LegalZoom repeatedly for ongoing legal projects due to their positive experiences.
Grab a one-stop-shop package
Despite higher-than-average prices, LegalZoom is a top contender due to its reputation and competitive refund policy. While you can't see the documents before you buy them, the feedback suggests this isn't a problem, as most customers are extremely pleased with the service at LegalZoom. With a one-stop-shop package approach to estate documents including your will, LegalZoom gives you everything in one go. For this reason, it earns a solid rating in our review.
Trust & Will is an estate planning website that promises to offer an inclusive service to help you with the creation of your will and other future planning necessities. All of the documents provided at Trust & Will were designed and approved by their on-staff attorneys to meet all legal standards. According to their analytics, most customers complete their estate plans (including their will) in about 15 minutes. The only difference between Trust & Will and other companies in our review is that you have to pick a combo plan with estate planning. There isn't a selection to just grab a will from this service.
Detailed will forms available
To get started on Trust & Will, you'll need to make an account first. Then, you can start filling out the forms for your will and your other documents. The form allows you to nominate guardians for children or pets, decide who will manage your affairs, and leave specific gifts like money, possessions, or property to chosen beneficiaries. You can determine exactly how your assets will be distributed, exclude certain individuals from receiving your property, and specify your final arrangements. The forms also include options to note any special requests, designate healthcare agents, decide on actions in medical emergencies, and grant trusted individuals access to your medical records.
Two plans that include your estate
There are two plans available on Trust & Will: the Will-Based Estate Plan and the Trust-Based Estate Plan. Both include a will, but the Trust-Based Estate Plan includes more details for avoiding probate and taking control of your assets. Here's how they differ:
Pricing from $199 to $499
The pricing is somewhat costly at Trust & Will since it includes more than just a will document, but for all that's included the value is fairly high. The Will-Based Estate Plan costs $199 and the Trust-Based Estate Plan costs $499. The Will-Based Estate Plan is much more affordable and includes most of the documents you'll need if you want more than a will. Plus, this is a one-time payment, and you won't have recurring costs.
30-day satisfaction guarantee
Trust & Will offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee to help you feel more confident in your purchase. The company promises to stand behind its services and that if you are unsatisfied with the Trust & Will product or service, they'll review any request made within 30 days. The only services not included are attorney support, concierge, notary, or deeds, and so long as you have not used those, you can score a refund in 30 days.
Tons of praise for Trust & Will
Despite its costly services, Trust & Will has a solid reputation. The company holds an "A+” rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau, and solid scores on third-party review sites, like a 4.6-star average on Trustpilot. Reviewers complimented the customer service team at Trust & Will and noted that any questions were responded to within minutes in most cases. There was also significant praise for how easy the forms were to fill out.
Great service for an all-in-one package
If you're looking for a quick way to score the whole package (all your estate planning, including your will, in one place), Trust & Will is your best bet. The process is simple, you get access to an attorney, and you can fill out all of your forms in one plan without any worries about something being left out. For these reasons, along with its solid scores with former and current customers, Trust & Will earns a very high rating.
LegalShield is a site that's designed to allow you to talk to a lawyer on any legal issue without worrying about the high hourly costs. The company was started in 1999 when the founder, Harland Stonecipher, led his company to a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. LegalShield currently serves over 4 million individuals and 140,000+ businesses in the US with legal concerns.
Add your plan to cart to get started
Since LegalShield is based on giving you legal advice, the best place to get started on this site is to click the "view coverage and pricing” button for the last will and testament. Once you select between the three plans offered by LegalShield, you'll be connected with a lawyer who will help you complete your will without any of the extra legal fees usually found when you secure a lawyer on your own. The process is simple, and once you add your chosen plan to the cart, you're good to go.
What they offer
There are two plans available at LegalShield for getting legal advice for your will. Here's how they break down:
Pricing from $29.95 to $59.95 per month
The pricing for all of the plans is subscription-style. The Basic plan costs $29.95 per month, the Advanced plan costs $39.95, and the Premium plan is $59.95. For most customers who just need a will, you can get away with the Basic, as long as you're not planning to edit your will anytime soon. This will complete the prep for your will while being less costly than some of the other will services that offer one-time payments. If you choose an annual subscription rather than monthly payments, you can save 10% on all of the plans.
Oddly restrictive cancellation policies
The cancellation policy at LegalShield is somewhat murky. We couldn't find any details about refunds, but cancellations themselves can be a bit tricky. You can cancel a monthly payment plan at any time, but you have to do so in writing. LegalShield requires that you email them directly and request cancellation. There's no way to do this on your own. For the annual plan, you are only able to cancel after your first 12 months on the plan, and there are no refunds for the annual membership either.
Solid legal advice across the board
Despite our concerns about the odd cancellation policy, LegalShield has a solid reputation. The site holds an "A+” rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. On third-party review sites like Trustpilot, LegalShield holds a solid 4.6-star average rating. Customers love the lawyers they were matched with regardless of the legal concern, and the consensus is that being a member offers incredible peace of mind. As an all-around legal help site, LegalShield stands out from the pack according to reviewers.
Solid service for advice on your will
We love the opportunity for legal advice, but for something more one-and-done like a will, you may not need the extras at LegalShield. As just a will service, LegalShield is somewhat overqualified, but if you want to move forward with having a lawyer look at your will and help you put the document together, this is going to be an affordable place to get that extra reassurance. For this reason, LegalShield earns a strong rating in our review.
Wills is an online service that offers a complete will in just 15 minutes. You can find documents across the site for last will and testament, probate, funeral plans, and even notarization. In 36 states, you can use remote online notarization offered through Bluenotary directly from Wills. This way, you can complete everything you need for your will all in one place (and online) without any extra hassle. As one of the newest companies in our review at just over 5 years old, Wills stands out with its all-in-one approach.
A quick form with detailed questions
To get started, you can click the "Create Your Will” button in the top right corner of the website. Then, Wills asks you for your name, state of residence, and your email to begin. The next step is to fill out the form. You'll be asked about your marital status, whether or not you have children and pets, and your full birthdate. Wills also asks if you'd like to make individual bequests, if you want to form a trust, if you have any form of life insurance, and in what county you'll have your will signed. Wills will ask you to add any family members and their relationships to you, and whose will (yours or your spouse's for couples) will be the primary will in the case of simultaneous death. You can also add extra beneficiaries, and decide how to divide your estate after the bequests are made. Finally, you'll be asked to choose an executor (or executors) and then all that's left is to pay and sign.
One will package for lifetime access
All of the wills offered by Wills are technically the same document; you can just guarantee that the form you receive will be specific to and legally binding in your state. Everything is covered under one single fee that includes permanent access to your will with updates at any time. You'll always be able to keep your important documents stored on Wills as well with zero storage fees.
Priced at $99 for the will
With one package available, the pricing at Wills is simple. No matter where you live in the US, the price will be $99 for your will, and you'll have permanent edits and access for the rest of your life (and beyond if your executor needs access). This is a comprehensive approach with a guarantee that you'll be able to come back to your will again and again and even get your will signed online.
No refunds allowed
The only drawback at Wills is the refund policy: Wills does not offer any refunds of any kind. Since the things like storage and signing will have been completed already by the time the documents are "delivered,” Wills claims that the services have been used prior to the final delivery of the document. It seems an odd policy since other companies easily manage to offer some kind of refund.
Not many reviews, but plenty of praise
For a company that started only 5 years ago, Wills has a solid reputation. Currently, it holds an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that it has a solid 4.3-star average on Trustpilot, though there are only 34 total reviews to back up this reputation. Most praise how easy the site is to use, and customers posted some complaint reviews where the issues they claimed were quickly resolved by the customer service team at Wills. While we'd love to see more buzz in general, Wills is building a good reputation for itself quickly.
Great solution for a 100% online process
Wills is a great site to check out if you want a simple package that offers you storage and permanent access to your documents without a subscription plan. While $99 is a little steep, this is fairly competitive for access long-term. While we need to see more reviews before Wills gets a higher rating here, and the lack of a return policy is a drawback, it still earns a respectable rating in our review for its simple form-fill approach and online notarization for some states.
Legal Nature is a site that focuses on automating legal documents to make your life easier. The founders, Bernard Bray, Corey Bray, and Michael Curtis, worked together to bring their backgrounds in law, business, and technology to Legal Nature. Their goal is to provide you with what you need alongside strong and streamlined customer service. The company has been serving individuals and families for over 13 years, which is on par with many of the will services in our review.
A detailed form for all your family's needs
To create your will at Legal Nature, you just need to click the "get started” button, and the site will guide you through the questions to fill out the form. Unlike other will services in our review, Legal Nature uses all the technical terms even when asking you questions. While the site does clarify that things like "Testator” means "the person for whom the will is being created”, it may seem more intimidating than other sites. Once you put in your personal information, you'll be asked if you want a Standard Will (which is best if you don't have a trust) or a Pour-over Will which is for those who have a living trust set up already. Then, you can tell Legal Nature if you want to add gifts to your will (and if these are personal property or monetary). The site will prompt you to pick an executor and decide how the money will be distributed and if the executor will be compensated for his/her time and work. One of the interesting features was the digital asset clause, which details how to handle your digital assets. Legal Nature also covers topics like disinherited persons and funeral/burial wishes.
Full suite of legal documents for your estate
Legal Nature offers documents for family and personal affairs, business, real estate, estate planning, and more. In the estate planning section, you'll find the will document as well as a living trust, a will and living trust combo pack, and an estate plan. The will documents include general instructions for beneficiaries, personal property, payment of remaining debts, and executors, simultaneous death (for married couples), and adopted children.
Pricing from $99 one-time, $39 per month, or $119 per year
At Legal Nature, you won't see any prices until you've filled out your will forms and made an account. You can choose either a subscription plan or a single document purchase, but the prices are fairly costly. The monthly subscription is $39 per month and includes access and storage of the last will and testament, living will, durable power of attorney, and revocable living trust. The annual subscription is $119 per year and includes everything in the monthly subscription, just at a reduced month-to-month rate. Finally, you can buy a single document for $99.
No refunds for any of the plans
According to the terms and conditions on Legal Nature, all membership fees are final. So, you'll need to be careful to cancel your membership if you don't want to be charged after finishing your will. The subscription will renew automatically and neither the monthly nor the annual fee qualifies for refunds.
Praise for how easy the forms are
Legal Nature has a solid reputation despite the high costs. According to the Better Business Bureau, Legal Nature holds an "A+” rating and accreditation. On Trustpilot, where Legal Nature has more than 7,000 individual customer reviews, the company holds a 4.3-star average out of 5. While most of the reviews are positive for the ease of use, many of the individual reviews focus on healthcare documents rather than will creation. On the other hand, the consensus is that the process is simple and the customer service at Legal Nature was helpful when customers ran into snags.
A good but pricey choice
The will services at Legal Nature are very thorough. While the prices are quite high for the service, it may be worth it to check out due to the level of detail in the documents themselves. Regrettably, the lackluster refund policy and the costly nature of this service keep it from being one of our top picks, but it earns a competitive rating overall.
U.S. Legal Wills is a service that promises you'll have your will in your hands in just 20 minutes from start to finish. However, if you're expecting this to be a brand-new site, you might be surprised. Most of the design and the plans seem like complete photocopies of another will service we reviewed. And that's because they are. U.S. Legal Wills is owned by Parting Wishes, so everything from prices to the names of the packages is identical.
Getting started
To begin creating your will, you can just either choose a package or jump down to the single "MyWill” selection under the build-your-own package part of the site. From there, you'll need to choose an individual plan or a couple's plan before you can begin filling out the form. We loved that U.S. Legal Wills provides a full preview of the document before you commit, allowing you to fill out everything and view it before you pay. The will covers questions about your personal details, family members, and any other beneficiaries you want to include, as well as guardianship for minor children, selecting an executor, deciding how to distribute your assets, and even setting up a pet trust.
Four plans and a build-your-own package
There are four plans to choose from at U.S. Legal Wills: Last Will and Testament, Premium Last Will and Testament, Complete Estate Plan, and Premium Estate Plan. These include a combination of documents, depending on what you're looking for. The Last Will and Testament is the most basic offering just the will (which can also be found in the "create your own” package menu under MyWill). The Premium Last Will and Testament includes additional documents for your end-of-life arrangements, personal messages for loved ones, and access to your personal information. The other two plans focus on a more complete estate planning approach (but still include a will) with features like power of attorney and a living will in the Complete Estate Plan and a vault for your digital assets in the Premium Estate Plan. All of these plans are for individuals and couples.
Pricing from $49.95 to $379.30
U.S. Legal Wills offers a one-time payment for each of its plans. This gives you access for a year and it does not auto renew. You can buy extensions if you want to be able to access and update your information going forward. Here's the pricing breakdown for you:
The extensions cost anywhere from $11.95 for one year (for an individual) to $259.90 for lifetime access (for a couple).
30-day money-back guarantee
U.S. Legal Wills offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with its services. According to the company's listed policy, if you're unhappy for any reason, you can reach out. There aren't any specific terms or details regarding the returns, and U.S. Legal Wills notes that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
High praise for its ease of use
Unlike its sister site, U.S. Legal Wills has some reviews to back up its will services. Since it is a part of Parting Wishes, the Better Business Bureau rating is the same with an "A+” and accreditation. On Trustpilot, U.S. Legal Wills has a 4.7-star average rating. While there are still far fewer total reviews (just over 700) than at other will services, U.S. Legal Wills still has a solid reputation. Customers say that the site is simple to use and offers legally binding documents at the end of the process.
More robust online presence than its sister site
Due to its ratings from reviewers, U.S. Legal Wills ranks higher than its sister site here. It has a decent pricing system, though it's a little costly if you only want a will. We love that U.S. Legal Wills allows you to pick and choose what you want to include in the "build your own” plans. It stands out as a place to check if you want a package of documents for your will. While U.S. Legal Wills is not as popular as our top options, it's worth a look.
Parting Wishes has been helping customers with their wills since 2000. This service works directly with attorneys to provide legal document creation that claims to be accessible and affordable to all. You can create your will at Parting Wishes in just 20 minutes, and with a quick online form, you'll have a personalized will ready to go. Notably, Parting Wishes does not offer any notarization, but promises a full refund if you are not satisfied with your will for any reason.
Fill out the form with an updating preview
To get started, you can select "MyWill” from the services menu and jump right into the quick 20-minute process. Parting Wishes invites you to start by taking their quiz to help them recommend the best template for you. Or, you can choose for yourself between an individual will and a couple's will. Parting Wishes offers you a preview of the documents before you need to make a purchase. The will includes questions about your personal details, family status, questions about any other beneficiaries (outside of your family) who you'd like added to your will, questions about guardians for any minor children you have in your household, a section to select your executor, questions on how you'd like to distribute your possessions, and even the option to create a trust for your pet. As you fill out the form, you'll see a regularly updated preview of your final will below.
Four plans include a will
There are four plans broken down into two categories at Parting Wishes. First, you'll want to choose between individual and couple wills. Then, you can choose from the same four plans under each category: Last Will and Testament, Premium Last Will and Testament, Complete Estate Plan, and Premium Estate Plan. Here's what you can expect from each:
If you look at the couple versions of each of these, it's the same documents, but double (for two people) instead of one. You can also create a custom plan with whatever features you need from the different packages.
Pricing from $49.95 to $379.30
The prices are based on a one-time payment, but you can buy extensions for between 1 year or throughout your lifetime if you want to be able to access and update your information. Otherwise, you get access for a year at the listed prices. Here's what Parting Wishes offers pricewise:
If you want an extension for your services, the prices range from $11.95 (1 year for 1 person) to $259.90 (lifetime for 2).
30-day money-back guarantee
Parting Wishes promises to provide your money back if you're not satisfied with their services. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with 100% satisfaction. If you're not happy for any reason, you can reach out to the Parting Wishes team and get your refund going.
Solid BBB score but zero reviews online
While Parting Wishes has a great reputation with the Better Business Bureau (with an "A+” rating and accreditation), we were surprised to see that this business has no reviews online. With 24+ years in business, we expected to see some more buzz on trusted third-party review sites. However, there are zero reviews on the BBB, Trustpilot, or Sitejabber. While there are plenty of positive reviews on the Parting Wishes website, it is unclear if these are monitored or curated (or both... or neither...).
A balanced option with a decent refund policy
While the packages are comprehensive at Parting Wishes, the prices are a little high compared to some of the other will services in our review. Considering that Parting Wishes also doesn't have any reviews for its services online, we're a little wary to recommend it. However, the refund policy is competitive and offers a sense of security if you don't like your final document. Plus, with previews along the way, you can see what you're buying before you put your money down. For these reasons. Parting Wishes earns a "just average” rating in our review.
Law Depot is a site that promises to be your all-in-one workspace for legal documents. Their goal is to make your legal experiences modern with efficient document access and fill-out procedures. Currently, over 13 million users are on Law Depot and the company has created and processed over 41 million documents to date. The company was started in 2001, founded by Ken Sawyer. All of the documents (including wills) on Law Depot are created by a team of legal professionals who have practiced law globally.
Detailed form but no funeral details
To create a will, you just need to find the Last Will and Testament document from the Estate dropdown menu. From there, you will be asked if the will is for you or someone else, and then guided to the forms to fill out. Law Depot will ask for your full name and place of residence, your marital status, whether or not you have children, details for any desired beneficiaries (person or charity organization), additional details if your listed beneficiaries are not alive when your assets will be distributed, whether or not you want to leave specific gifts or bequests, whether or not you want to limit the ages for when minors can receive inheritance, details for your executor, and finally whether you have any additional instructions. Oddly, there were no final resting details included in this form. However, we did love that each question had a "help” section on the side which described the reason for the form question and how best to fill it out accurately in case you are worried about whether things like alternate executors are needed.
Two wills and both offer free downloads
Law Depot offers two different kinds of wills: a Last Will and Testament document, and a Living Will. Both of the documents are listed as "free” to use (more on that later...) and download instantly. Filling out the required forms only takes 5 minutes of your time. Regarding other estate-related documents, Law Depot offers power of attorney documents, health care directives, revocable living trusts, and estate vault documents as well.
Pricing $49.95 (one time) or $12.99 to $49 per month
As we mentioned above, the site lists its documents as being free of charge. However, this is only if you get a trial subscription which is free for one week. After that week, you'll be auto-subscribed to a $49 per month fee. You can also choose a 1-year subscription for only $12.99 per month, or a one-time document purchase (for 10 years of access) for $49.95. It is unclear why the $49 subscription is an option, given the better deals in the single purchase and 1-year plans (and there is no additional benefit to subscribing beyond access to multiple documents over time), but you don't want to forget to cancel your free trial if you decide to go that route, or it could be costly.
No refund policy listed
There is no listed refund policy or guarantee at Law Depot, so you may want to keep a careful eye on the timeline for your free trial as you go forward. While getting a free document downloaded within that 7-day time frame is a great way to get your will at zero cost, you don't want to end up paying fees of $49 per month on accident, as it doesn't appear you'll get any refund if you forget. Yikes!
Mixed reviews due to price transparency
Currently, Law Depot holds an "A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau, but customer feedback is mixed for this company. Trustpilot shows an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5 for the ease of use at Law Depot. However, BBB ratings are much lower, with complaints about high charges and dishonesty about the documents actually being free.
Needs to be more clear about pricing
While you can get free documents on Law Depot, things aren't exactly how the company presents them. Their main page promises a "free” Last Will and Testament; however, when you complete your forms, you'll be asked to sign up for an auto-renewing subscription with only 7 days free. Customers found this practice lacking in transparency. For this reason, and the fact that the will didn't include last wishes for funerals when other sites offered a full will, Law Depot falls a bit in our ratings.
Legal Contracts is a straightforward online site that provides custom legal documents for you to create and print from home. Designed with a simple step-by-step questionnaire to guide you through the process, all of the legal documents (including wills) are written and maintained by Legal Contracts' in-house attorneys. Legal Contracts has been in the business for over 13 years and has a competitive process for creating your will at any point in your life.
A quick form with all the details
To get your will ready to go, you just need to click on the last will and testament tab, and you'll be taken directly to the form. Legal Contracts guides you through a scrolling window of questions, with help on the right-hand side for frequently asked questions regarding the section you're filling out. You'll need to give your name and place of residence and your marital status. Then, you can select an executor and provide his/her personal information too. You need to list any children you have (all of them must be included, according to Legal Contracts' tips), and select any trustees. If you have any special gifts you want to bequeath, Legal Contracts asks for the number of gifts, a description of each gift, and the name and details of your selected beneficiary. Legal Contracts offers a wipeout clause if your named beneficiary(s) don't survive you, a clause to forgive any debts for those who owe you money, a clause to select a new guardian for your pet, and additional instructions. Legal Contracts allows you to decide when you will sign the will and the signing location. Finally, at the end of the form, you can access additional instructions about executing your will.
Extremely thorough estate documents
Legal Contracts offers just one last will and testament document, but you can find a few other things in the family and estate section of the site to support your will if need be. You can also find power of attorney documents, health care directives, gift deeds, revocable living trusts, living wills, and child medical consent forms.
Pricing from $19 for a single document or $7.99 to $33 per month
You can create your will for free, but to download the final document, you'll need to select a license through Legal Contracts. This is completed through a subscription or a one-time purchase of the document. The one-time purchase cost is $19. For the subscription, you can choose a free trial for 7 days which will then charge you monthly at $33 per month when the trial period is over. Legal Contracts also offers a 1-year license that costs $7.99 per month but charges annually (this does not allow you to access the free trial first).
Refunds only for the annual plan or company mistake
You can get a refund only if there is a mistake in the wording of the legal document (made by Legal Contracts, not your error), and only if you are the first person to mention that mistake to Legal Contracts. Legal Contracts states it will not supply a refund if your free trial is not canceled before converting into the monthly charge. The annual subscription can be refunded within 30 days of purchase.
Complaints about service reps
Currently, Legal Contracts holds an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. However, the reviews for the company are almost non-existent. There are just a handful of reviews on the BBB which amount to a concerning 1-star rating out of 5. Customers complain that Legal Contracts' team is "extremely rude” when dealing with those who were frustrated with the 7-day free trial rollover. One customer noted that he never received any billing information and only found out he was being charged monthly by Legal Contracts after seeing his card statements a year in. Every review seems to agree that Legal Contracts lacks transparency regarding its conversion from free trial to paid service. The site does clearly state this is the case, but customers expect more communication from Legal Contracts.
Needs to work on its customer service
With plenty of other sites that offer clear communication and more pleasant customer service, Legal Contracts is behind the pack. While we love the detailed will with options for planning for your pets' futures or adding additional clauses, the overall experience wasn't pleasant for most customers. Given the handful of negative reviews (despite its "A+” rating on the BBB), Legal Contracts could do some extra work to make itself more competitive.
Find Legal Forms started as an information website in 2001, created by two California attorneys who ran a successful law practice. The site was further developed to offer an affordable solution for creating wills. The company holds a library of attorney-prepared legal forms for you to fill out without costly attorney's fees. The forms are drafted to account for variances in state laws, and all of the documents on Find Legal Forms are maintained regularly by attorneys.
Pick your form and purchase
To get started on Find Legal Forms, you have to select which type will best suit your situation. For most people, the statutory will is the basic first step. This includes a way to designate who will receive your assets. This allows for picking an executor, nominating a guardian for your children, and choosing a custodian to manage assets that can't go to children under the age of 25. However, no matter whether you choose a form for divorced couples or single individuals, the process is the same. You can preview a sample of the document before adding it to the cart. There is a dropdown menu for you to select your state of residence to ensure the final documents are legal for your state laws. You will not be able to fully fill out and download the form until after purchase.
Different wills for different situations
There are a variety of will documents available at Find Legal Forms. There are statutory wills, wills for divorced parents, for married individuals, for single individuals, mutual wills for couples, and wills for widows or widowers. You can also find supplementary documents like beneficiary and executor forms, living trusts, and estate planning forms if you need them.
Pricing from $4.95 to $19.95 for single will document
As promised by Find Legal Forms' original company design, the prices are very affordable for individual documents. Almost all of the documents are $19.95 except for the statutory will which costs $4.95, as the document is simpler overall. Find Legal Forms also offers combo kits that include estate planning documents and living trusts which all cost $39.95.
100% refund guarantee
All of the forms at Find Legal Forms come with a 100% money-back guarantee. If you purchase a form that doesn't work for you or meet your highest expectations, Find Legal Forms will issue a refund, with zero questions asked. This is impressive compared to many sites that offer no refunds or a limited period for getting a refund.
Concerns around a lack of reviews
Currently, Find Legal Forms has only a "B-” rating from the Better Business Bureau and zero customer reviews. Further, on third-party review sites, there is no mention of Find Legal Reviews. The only place we located any reviews for Find Legal Reviews was from a blog site that gave the company just 2.7 stars out of 5. We found three third-party reviews after some serious digging, but they are all from 2-6 years ago with nothing more recent to show.
Not enough information to recommend
With other sites out there that have much more robust customer service and positive reviews to support the will forms and documents, Find Legal Forms just doesn't stand out from the pack. We're a little concerned over the only reviews being multiple years old. For this reason, we suggest caution when choosing this service.
To create your will, the company will ask you questions about your situation (marital status, children, assets, and more) to help generate the final document and provide state-specific forms that are legally binding where you reside. Will services make a sometimes stressful or lengthy process simple, and if you provide accurate information, it will be just as good as a similar document from an attorney.
The best part of will services is that you don't need to try to do all the work on your own. The right will service will help you along the way, offer experts to answer your questions, and make sure you have all the required sections such as bequests for your assets, determining a guardian for minor children, and naming an executor. You will still need to have your will signed and witnessed properly, but a good will service will help you finish that step too.
Check for services that have lifetime access, if you're planning to make updates in the future. You don't have to worry about a hassle to update your will if you have changes in your assets or living situation in the future.
If you're ready to get everything sorted and signed for your family's future, we understand. This is a big step, and you want to do it right. Here are some factors that might help you choose the best will service for your documents:
To help you take this important step and provide you with peace of mind, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top will services out there today. This way, you can get everything sorted for the future of your family with no stress, to prepare and provide for your future generations.
Select any 2 Will Services to compare them head to head