Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust wins as an affordable option for mostUpdated on October 19, 2022 Show
We recommend the best products through an independent review process, and advertisers do not influence our picks. We may receive compensation if you visit partners we recommend. Read our advertiser disclosure for more info. A last will and testament is a legal document that allows you to spell out how you'd like your assets to be distributed to family members, friends, or even charitable organizations after you're gone. You can also use a will to name legal guardians for minor children, assign a caretaker for pets, and name an executor. We looked at 14 online will makers and chose six that stood out from the crowd. These platforms were the most comprehensive, affordable, and highly rated among similar services, and each had its own unique feature that made it rise above its competitors. The 6 Best Online Will Makers of 2022
Best Overall: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
Why We Chose It Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust gives you access to over 35 estate-planning documents, including a will, living trust, health care directive, and power of attorney, depending on the annual plan you choose. There are three annual subscription plans, so you can choose one that works for you. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview Quicken, an internationally renowned personal finance and money management software company, partners with DIY legal guide publisher Nolo to offer WillMaker & Trust, to offer a powerful online will maker that combines both companies' expertise. There are three pricing tiers to choose from based on your needs. The $89 Starter plan is a basic annual plan with which you can establish a will, a health care directive, and final wishes. You can create and revise documents as needed. You can also store your documents with the plan's data vault. And even if your membership status lapses, you can still access your documents. The $129 Plus annual plan gives you everything the basic plan offers, but it also lets you draft a durable power of attorney, letters to survivors, and a living trust. The $199 All Access annual plan gives you access to everything included in the Plus plan, but you'll also get access to Everplans' smart digital vault. With this vault, you can digitally store all of your important documents, including your will, trust, health care directive, insurance details, and financial records in one place. It's a nice perk since Everplans' digital storage services cost around $75 per year. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust's PC software has good customer reviews, but there are a couple of weak spots to be aware of. The first is that estate planning documents are not valid in Louisiana, U.S. territories, or Canada. The second is that you have to download the software to your computer, meaning you must have a PC or Mac with a compatible operating system and enough hard drive space. If you don't have a PC or a Mac, you'll need to find another option. Despite these drawbacks, Quicken WillMaker & Trust by Nolo the most comprehensive, affordable online will making option we've found. Best Value: Trust & Will Trust & Will
Why We Chose It Wills start at $159 for individuals and $259 for couples, and you can also get a trust for $599 for individuals and $699 for couples. After one year, unlimited updates cost $19 a year for wills and $39 for trusts. Some online will makers require you to purchase a new will and start from scratch if you want to update it, or you may have to pay high annual fees to maintain documents. And if you're not quite ready to establish a will, Trust & Will's most basic Guardian plan lets you appoint a guardian for your minor child or children for just $39 for individuals and $69 for couples. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview Founded in 2017, Trust & Will aims to make estate planning simple, affordable, and accessible, and it's our choice for the best value in online will makers. You can make a will in as little as 15 minutes, and the company even mails your completed documents for free, along with instructions to make them legally binding. The company's trust product–$599 for individuals and $699 for couples–allows you to:
You'll get a revocable living trust, schedule of assets, last will and testament, HIPAA authorization, a living will, power of attorney, trust funding guide, and a certification of trust. Trust & Will's will service, which will run individuals $159 and couples $259, will give you access to everything the trust tier provides except for adding conditions to contributions and avoiding probate court. Your documents for this service include a last will and testament, HIPAA authorization, a living will, and a power of attorney. Additionally, you’ll get a year of unlimited updates included for all products. While it’s a great value for many, if you have a business, investment property, children from a different spouse or partner, or another complex family situation, you’ll want to pick another service. Best Free Option: doyourownwill.com
Do Your Own Will
Why We Chose It There are many free online will makers, but doyourownwill.com is the most comprehensive. You can get guardianship forms, power of attorney forms, living wills, and more, all for free. And because it’s free, there are no time limitations for updating or downloading your documents, making doyourownwill.com the best free option among online will makers. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview Unlike other online will makers that allow you to make your will during a free trial period, doyourownwill.com from Trial Data, Inc., is always free. And what do you get for free? A will that's valid in all 50 states. You can download it in Microsoft Word or PDF format instantly. Plus you can duplicate it for your spouse. The site prompts you to answer questions about your personal circumstances, including your gender, marital status, and whether your have minor children. Next, you'll fill in your name and residential address and answer questions about your beneficiaries, including how much of your estate your spouse and children will receive in the event of your death. And you'll name an executor and choose at which age–18 or 21–your minor children can claim the proceeds of their trust. Additionally, you can make gifts of specific personal property and designate your memorial preferences. Even though doyourownwill.com is best for people with simple distribution plans who own property worth less than the threshold limit for federal estate taxes ($12.06 million), individuals with more than $5 million in total assets would be better served by consulting an attorney for their estate planning needs. Still, doyourownwill.com is an all-around great tool for free estate planning. Best for Ease of Use: Willing Willing
Why We Chose It Willing has a sleek design and straightforward user experience. There aren’t many options on its website except to start making your will. Its accessibility and portability make it appealing to people who don't want to spend hours trying to navigate will-making software. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview Willing is an online will-making service offering an easy user experience. While there are limitations to the lowest-cost plan, it’s still a comprehensive online will maker that will meet the needs of those who are tech-averse or feel overwhelmed by the thought of creating their will, and it is our pick as the best for ease of use. For $69, you get a last will and testament, a durable power of attorney, and a living will. A revocable living trust and transfer-on-death deed for your home are also available but may cost more. You can make updates and download your documents anytime. You can make updates and download your documents anytime. Note that Willing does not include pet guardianship. If that is important to you, you might want to consider using doyourownwill.com instead. Best for Charitable Giving: FreeWill FreeWill
Why We Chose It If charitable giving is important to you, you’ll love FreeWill’s approach to estate planning. It's funded by more than 600 nonprofit organizations with the goal of making charitable estate donations easier. And it’s an extremely comprehensive tool, even compared to its paid counterparts, offering free last will and testament, living will, and financial power of attorney documents, qualified charitable distribution, and stock donation forms that are valid in all 50 states. You can change and download your will at any time without making a new one. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview FreeWill is our choice for best for charitable giving because it's a public benefit corporation that partners with nonprofit organizations and helps people donate part of their estate to charity. From over 300,000 wills created on FreeWill, more than $4.7 billion has been committed to charity. Establishing a will through the FreeWill platform is straightforward. You provide your name, marital status, and the legal names of your spouse and children, if applicable. You can name an executor, assign a legal guardian for your children, and even choose how much you want to leave for the care of your pets. Then FreeWill gives you the option to choose a cause to include in your will. Preset options include the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, and the American Diabetes Association, but you can choose nonprofits that aren't listed. You enter the percentage of your residual estate you wish to leave to this nonprofit. Once you've selected a cause, you move back to the more practical matters of splitting up your estate among your chosen beneficiaries. You also have the option of choosing who will inherit non-probate assets like stocks, life insurance, and 401(k)s. You can even leave a final statement for your family. FreeWill is a great choice whether you plan to donate part of your estate or not, but as with any online will maker, it is best-suited for those with simple and straightforward estates. Best Customer Service: Rocket Lawyer Rocket Lawyer
Why We Chose It When you make a will online, you may be left wondering if you’ve covered everything. Rocket Lawyer provides easy-to-access customer service, with ways to contact lawyers via email, phone, or online chat, and the company promises to respond within one business day. They also have an on-call attorney to answer immediate questions, give customers access to their legal documents library, provide free 30-minute consultations, and offer secure cloud storage. Pros & Cons Pros
Cons
Overview Having served 20 million customers and boasting the tagline, "Legal Made Simple," Rocket Lawyer is our choice for best customer service among the online will makers we reviewed. Rocket Lawyer charges $39.99 per document, but all documents are included if you join its Premium membership for $39.99 per month. You can try Premium free for seven days and get a will, living trust, or power of attorney. The drawback is you won’t be able to make any updates or print them after seven days without paying. While it's a great service, it comes with lots of legal jargon, so taking advantage of the company's best-in-class customer service will help avoid any confusion. Final VerdictAs you search for a way to create a will, you’ll run into countless options. Your unique circumstances will determine which service is right for you. But Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust provides the most suitable option that balances robust services at a fair price. Compare the Best Online Will Makers
What Is an Online Will Maker?A last will and testament is a legal document that allows you to specify what you want to happen to your assets after you pass away. If you don't have a will in place when you die, your assets are distributed according to state inheritance laws. Having a will can help avoid that scenario and ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Hiring an attorney used to be the only way to have a will made. Now with online will makers, you can create your will and other estate planning documents affordably, 24/7, and access or download them instantly. Who Should Use an Online Will Maker?If you have a straightforward family and/or financial situation, an online will should work for you. You can make a will online if you have kids, pets, own a home, and have money in investment accounts you’d like to pass on. However, there are very few or no online services that will cover some unique or complex situations, including:
How Much Do Online Will Makers Cost?Online will makers can cost anywhere from $0 to $200, with the average falling between $20 to $100. Most services charge a one-time fee, while some charge a subscription to access or update forms. When you’re looking at online will makers, be sure to also check out what it costs to make updates and reprint your documents. A higher fee upfront with no or low-cost fee to access later could save you money over time compared to a service with a high annual fee or one that requires you to start over with a new purchase. MethodologyWe looked at 14 online will makers and narrowed them down to the best based on the variety of legal forms available, pricing structures, the availability of legal counsel, and the product's ease of use. To evaluate the products, we looked for companies with historically positive user ratings or new companies that are breaking the traditional estate planning mold somehow. Finally, significant weight was placed on the ability to make a state-specific will and the number of states where the will is valid. All of our top choices offer various documents related to making a valid will, are affordable and accessible to most people, and have solid reputations among users. Are online Wills legit?The short answer is yes—online wills are legitimate as long as you ensure they comply with federal and state laws. Online will companies hire licensed attorneys and legal professionals to carefully word their estate planning documents so that each is legally binding.
How can I make a simple will for free?One option is to use an online platform like FreeWill. Our online will-maker is easy to follow, customized to you, and includes guidelines specific to the state where you live. It's also completely free to use and can take as little as 20 minutes to complete.
Is FreeWill com really free?As the company's name implies, FreeWill's services are completely free. Funding comes from FreeWill's partnership with more than 100 nonprofit organizations who sponsor these services.
Are Wills bought online legal?Yes, making a will online is perfectly legal. Just like writing a will the traditional way, you will need to meet certain requirements so that the document is valid in a court of law.
|
Free online wills and power of attorney
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 themosti Inc.
