A decade ago, writing a will meant a law firm appointment and a several-hundred-dollar fee. Today, online will services let most people create a legally valid will in under an hour for the price of a dinner out. Here's what you're getting — and what you should still watch for.
How Online Will Services Work
Online will services walk you through a questionnaire that covers:
- Who you are and where you live (state law governs wills)
- What assets you have and how you want them distributed
- Who your beneficiaries are
- Who you want as executor
- If you have minor children, who you want as guardian
- Any specific bequests (specific items to specific people)
The service generates a will document customized to your state's requirements based on your answers. You print it, sign it in front of two witnesses (and a notary for a self-proving affidavit), and you have a legally valid will.
What Online Services Do Well
- Accessibility: They've removed the cost and friction barrier. Most Americans don't have wills — the cost and inertia of the traditional attorney model is a significant factor. Online services make "get a will" achievable in an afternoon.
- Simple situations: For a single person or married couple with clear assets, clear beneficiary wishes, and no complex family dynamics, an online will is often entirely adequate.
- State-specific documents: Quality services generate documents that meet your specific state's requirements.
- Bundled documents: Most services also generate a healthcare directive, power of attorney, and living will alongside the main will — documents almost everyone needs.
Where Online Services Fall Short
- They can't identify what they don't ask about. An estate planning attorney asks follow-up questions and identifies issues you may not have thought of. An online form only generates what the form asks for.
- Complex family dynamics. Blended families, estranged family members, potential for contestation, stepchildren, children from multiple relationships — these create complications that questionnaire-based tools handle poorly.
- Tax planning. For estates approaching or above the federal exemption threshold, tax planning opportunities that an attorney would identify may be missed entirely.
- Business interests. Succession planning, buy-sell agreements, and the proper handling of business interests require professional guidance.
- Trust structures. Simple living trusts are available through online services, but more sophisticated trust planning is not.
The Most Important Step: Execution
The most common way online wills fail: they're completed digitally and never properly executed. A digital file is not a will. To make an online will legally valid:
- Print the document
- Sign it in front of two disinterested witnesses (people not named in the will)
- Have witnesses sign in your presence
- Optionally: add a self-proving affidavit signed by you and witnesses before a notary
- Store the original safely (fireproof safe, attorney's office, or FinalKeepSake) and tell your executor where it is
Popular Services Compared
- Trust & Will: $69 for a will bundle; $399 for a living trust. Strong user experience, attorney-reviewed, good state customization. Good overall choice for most users.
- Quicken WillMaker (Nolo): Desktop software, one-time purchase (~$100). Category leader for decades; comprehensive; no ongoing subscription. Less modern interface.
- LegalZoom: More expensive than most alternatives; optional attorney add-on. Broad brand recognition; adequate documents.
- FreeWill: Free; produces basic wills; designed to encourage charitable giving. Adequate for the simplest situations.