topsversePlanning for your family’s future ranks among life’s most crucial responsibilities. Despite this importance, many people postpone creating a last will and testament due to perceived legal complexities and anticipated high costs. This delay can leave families exposed to legal and financial turmoil during their most vulnerable moments of grief.
Your estate encompasses everything you own, regardless of your wealth level. From checking accounts to family homes, even treasured personal collections—these all form part of your estate. A last will and testament serves as your comprehensive instruction manual, detailing asset distribution, appointing estate administrators, and crucially, designating guardians for minor children should you pass away.
When someone dies without a valid will, the law considers them to have died “intestate.” State intestacy laws, rather than personal preferences, then determine property distribution. This situation often results in assets reaching unintended recipients, family court battles, and prolonged public probate proceedings that drain both finances and emotions. Thankfully, digital technology has revolutionized estate planning, making it more accessible and affordable through numerous excellent online will services across the United States.
Top 10 Best Last Will and Testament Online Services
1. Trust and Will
Trust and Will sets the gold standard for clean, intuitive, and reassuring user experiences. The platform guides users through the entire process with clear instructions and helpful prompts, making it exceptional for first-time estate planners.
Standout Features: The platform offers a user-friendly interface featuring explanatory pop-ups and artificial intelligence-powered recommendations that smoothly guide users through the process. Robust security features include HIPAA certification and data encryption, with clear explanations of why these security measures matter. The Young Adult Plan provides an affordable entry point for people aged 18 to 26, encouraging early estate planning action. The service also offers unlimited updates for a modest yearly fee, valuable as life circumstances change.
Considerations: The service carries higher costs compared to some competitors. Attorney assistance requires additional payment through yearly subscription. No combined will and trust package exists, which may inconvenience users requiring both documents.
Pricing Details: Individual wills start at $199. Attorney access costs an additional $299 yearly for unlimited 30-minute consultation calls. Unlimited updates after the initial 30-day revision period cost $19 yearly for wills and $39 yearly for trusts.
2. LegalZoom
LegalZoom operates as a massive, trusted legal technology platform offering comprehensive services with broad plan ranges and accessible attorney consultations. It suits people with more complex needs or those wanting peace of mind through available legal experts.
Standout Features: The service provides competitive starting costs and extensive offerings, including various plan tiers with different attorney assistance levels. LegalZoom operates in all 50 states and offers free, secure online document storage.
Considerations: While basic plans remain affordable, premium plan fees can be substantial. Attorney access requires recurring yearly subscription fees after the initial year. Some users on public forums express concerns about work quality and potential mistakes.
Pricing Details: Basic individual will plans start at $99. Premium will plans, including one year of attorney assistance, cost $249, with $199 annual recurring fees for continued legal advice.
3. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer excels for people valuing immediate access to human lawyers. This subscription-based model provides legal advice availability at any moment.
Standout Features: Rocket Lawyer distinguishes itself through exceptional customer service, including lawyer contact options via phone, email, or online chat. The seven-day free trial allows users to experience upgraded customer service before committing to plans. The service provides comprehensive document suites, including revocable living trusts, living wills, and powers of attorney through membership.
Considerations: The monthly subscription fee of $39.99 can accumulate quickly for users without ongoing legal needs. Free will templates cannot be edited later without paid membership, potentially problematic for future changes.
Pricing Details: Monthly pricing is $39.99, or $239.88 yearly when billed annually.
4. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker
Quicken WillMaker represents the most comprehensive offline solution, perfect for people wanting robust software packages to maintain document privacy and local computer storage.
Standout Features: The service provides over 35 state-specific estate planning documents in one comprehensive package. Available as software download or cloud version, offering user flexibility. Includes one year of free document updates.
Considerations: Documents are not valid in Louisiana or United States territories. No live attorney support access. Software download requires 54 megabytes of computer space.
Pricing Details: Pricing ranges from $109 to $219, with $39 annual fees for changes after the first year.
5. GoodTrust
GoodTrust serves modern, connected individuals whose lives are increasingly online. The service focuses on the crucial and often-overlooked digital estate aspect.
Standout Features: The service’s key differentiator is its unique “Digital Vault” feature—an encrypted online platform for securely storing online assets, including social media accounts, subscriptions, and online banking information. Users can provide detailed, item-by-item instructions for each digital asset. The service offers unlimited updates and family plans at no additional cost.
Considerations: Provided documents are not state-specific, though they remain binding in all 50 states when users follow state-specific instructions. No attorney support is available.
Pricing Details: One-time bundle fee of $149, with $39 annual fees.
6. Do Your Own Will
Do Your Own Will offers a straightforward, completely free option for people needing basic wills without additional features. This functional service accomplishes essential tasks at no cost.
Standout Features: The service is completely free without registration fees or other payments. The process remains simple and functional. Documents are available for download in both PDF and Word formats, and updating wills created on the site is easy and free.
Considerations: The service lacks premium features of paid services, such as living trusts. Users must independently verify their state’s legal standards, and no attorney support is available.
Pricing Details: Completely free service.
7. Fabric
Fabric provides an ideal, lightning-fast option for young couples or new parents. This free will service, offered by a life insurance company, serves as an excellent estate planning entry point.
Standout Features: The service provides completely free wills that take less than 15 minutes to complete. Offers free revisions, instant downloads, and secure online vaults for document storage. The service includes prompts for difficult conversations, helpful for new planners.
Considerations: Not suitable for complex estates and lacks living trust options or other documents. No attorney advice is available. Functions as a lead magnet for a life insurance company, which may not appeal to all users.
Pricing Details: Completely free service.
8. MI Court Help
MI Court Help offers a transparent, attorney-backed tool providing quality documents with direct input from a former judge and lawyer. This provides high credibility levels.
Standout Features: The tool receives backing from an attorney and former judge, giving users security and trust in document legal validity. Features a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. The platform provides user-friendly questionnaires to guide users through the process.
Considerations: Attorney support is available, but document drafters are not necessarily the same attorneys users will consult. Pricing is less transparent than other services, though described as affordable.
Pricing Details: Documents range from $0 to $300, listed among the best attorney-backed tools.
9. FreeWill.com
FreeWill.com operates as an intriguing free service with a clear mission to facilitate charitable giving as part of estate plans.
Standout Features: The service is completely free, making it accessible to everyone, especially people wishing to include charitable components in their wills.
Considerations: Nonprofit funding creates strong incentives to encourage users to leave charitable gifts. Output documents can sometimes be “too brief to be comprehensive” or include provisions not applicable to user situations.
Pricing Details: Completely free service.
10. The Wildcard
The online will service landscape constantly evolves. Beyond the above services, numerous other emerging platforms and alternatives deserve consideration. Staying current with local and state laws remains most important.
Standout Features: Growing digital will services provide more options than ever before. This includes niche services and emerging platforms worth monitoring.
Considerations: Many services, particularly new ones, remain “untested” by legal systems, with potential issues only arising when wills are needed in court. Users must carefully avoid services that do not provide state-specific guidance.
Service Comparison Overview
| Service Name | Best For | Starting Price | Attorney Access | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust and Will | User Experience and Security | $199 | Yes (Extra Cost) | User-friendly, HIPAA certified, digital vault, unlimited updates for low annual fee |
| LegalZoom | Broad Document Selection | $99 | Yes (Extra Cost) | Wide service range, all 50 states availability, free digital storage |
| Rocket Lawyer | Customer Service Excellence | $39.99/month | Yes (Subscription) | On-demand lawyer access via phone, email, chat, 7-day free trial |
| Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker | Complete Do-It-Yourself | $109 | No | Over 35 documents, software or cloud version, one year free updates |
| GoodTrust | Digital Estate Management | $149 | No | Unique “Digital Vault” for online assets, detailed digital account instructions |
| Do Your Own Will | Best Free Service | Free | No | 100 percent free, simple, functional, Word or PDF document formats |
| Fabric | Young Family Budget Option | Free | No | Free, fast drafting, secure vault, free revisions, conversation prompts |
| MI Court Help | Attorney-Backed Tool | Variable | Yes | Attorney and former judge backing, 60-day money-back guarantee |
| FreeWill.com | Socially Conscious Estate | Free | No | Free, charitable giving mission-driven |
| The Wildcard | Specialized Needs | Variable | Varies | Emerging services, specialized features, new digital will approaches |
Conclusion
For many people, the most difficult part of estate planning is simply starting. You do not need to be a legal scholar or have a massive estate to create a will. Online services have made beginning the process simpler and more affordable than ever before.
Our analysis indicates that taking action is the most important thing. Whether you choose free services, low-cost paid services, or decide to consult with attorneys, putting a plan in place is what truly matters. It is a gift to your loved ones, ensuring their future protection and that your final wishes are known and honored. A proactive approach to estate planning is not about anticipating death—it is about taking control and providing peace of mind for your family’s future.