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• Free Will Writing, Probate and Lasting Power of Attorney
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• Legal Support

Writing a will

Making a will allows you to make important decisions that affect your family and dependants after your death. A will can spare your loved ones unnecessary work and heartache at a time when they are least able to cope with it. As an NASUWT member, you have access to a free online wills portal, operated by BBH Legal Services/Thompsons Solicitors on behalf of the NASUWT. The portal allows you to generate your own will, as well as a mirror will for your spouse or partner, free of cost in your own time and at your convenience. A reduced-rate will writing service is also provided by the NASUWT for members’ families. If your will is complex, you will be referred to a wills specialist for advice on a bespoke will, for which there will be a discounted fee payable if you wish to go ahead. BBH reserve the right to make a charge if your will contains complex tax provisions or you make substantial changes once the will has been drafted.

If you are a member in England and Wales , you can use Thompsons online portal to start writing your free will.

If you are a member in Northern Ireland , please use Thompsons Northern Ireland’s separate facility (pdf) to start your free will.

If you are a member in Scotland , please use Thompsons Scotland’s separate facility to start your free will.

Probate administration and lasting power of attorney

A reduced rate probate administration and lasting power of attorney (LPA) service is also available to NASUWT members and their families. You will only need to complete a simple questionnaire. Call Thompsons Solicitors on 0808 100 2221 to request an information pack or for more information go to the Thompsons web page .

Further information

To access these services, you will need to provide your name, contact details and your NASUWT membership number. If there is a problem with your membership or you do not know your membership number, please log in to access your online e-Membership record or email the NASUWT Membership Team . If you are dissatisfied with these services for any reason, complaints should be addressed to:  BBH Legal Services Eastham Hall 109 Eastham Village Road Wirrall CH62 0AF

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• Trust & Estate Planning

Best Online Will Makers for October 2024

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is our top pick because it's comprehensive and affordable

An online will maker is a service that helps an individual create a will from the comfort of their home, potentially for less than an estate attorney would charge, which (if accurate and executed correctly) is just as legally binding as a standard will. A strong online will maker offers a robust suite of estate planning services and documents at an affordable price. As creating a will can be a intimidating prospect, the best online will makers should also provide support tools that will walk you through the entire process and ensure your documents are customized to fit your unique situation.

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust is the best overall online will maker due to its downloadable software, free software updates, and access to a catalog of estate planning documents. We researched 13 companies and evaluated them on several factors, including company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, ease of use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

The 6 Best Online Will Makers for October 2024

• Best Overall: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• Best Value: U.S. Legal Wills
• Best for Ease of Use: Trust & Will
• Best Comprehensive Estate Plan: TotalLegal
• Best Free Online Will Maker: Do Your Own Will
• Best for Making Changes: Rocket Lawyer
• Our Top Picks
• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• U.S. Legal Wills
• Trust & Will
• Do Your Own Will
• Rocket Lawyer
• See More (3)

The Bottom Line

• Compare Providers
• Additional Services

How to Make a Will Online

• Will-Friendly Assets
• Pros & Cons
• Will Alternatives
• Why Trust Us
• Methodology

Best Overall : Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

• Price (One-Time) : N/A
• Price (Annual) : Starting at $99
• Legal support : No
• Free trial : No
• Update period : One year of software updates included

Customers get access to a large number of estate planning documents with this Nolo product, and the software itself is easy to use. You’re not required to have an internet connection except to download and update the software.

Flat rate for comprehensive estate planning documents

Free software updates for version year

Downloadable software

Estate planning documents invalid in Louisiana

Minimum operating system requirements

Downloadable software unavailable for Starter tier

Nolo, which is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, started by publishing DIY legal guides back in 1971. It was one of the first websites to provide online legal assistance and information. It's branched out into other products, like its Quicken WillMaker & Trust software tools.

You can download the program for $99 to $209, depending on the version. They include key estate planning documents like a legal will, a living trust , a financial power of attorney (POA) , a healthcare directive, final arrangements, and a letter to survivors, in addition to other types of personal finance and home and family management documents.

The software is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and it's easy to use. It allows you to create customized legal documents using a simple interview survey to fill out forms. You can then save your information and download completed documents in PDF format. You can update your will at any time and receive legal and technical updates via the internet.

There's a legal manual to help you answer common questions within Quicken WillMaker & Trust, and you can contact technical support for additional help. Louisiana residents won’t be able to use this software because it doesn’t address the estate planning requirements for this state.

Best Value : U.S. Legal Wills

 US Legal Wills

• Price (One-Time) : Starting at $49.95 for individuals and $99.90 for couples
• Price (Annual) : N/A
• Legal support : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited

U.S. Legal Wills is one of the most affordable will options we've seen. It offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and it also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. It’s one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have personal property or other assets located outside the U.S.

Free unlimited updates

Forms for assets outside the U.S. and expats included

Discounted documents for spouse or partner

No living revocable trust available

Website less intuitive than other competitors

Clunky signup process for spouses

Formed in 2000 and based in New York City, U.S. Legal Wills is operated by PartingWishes Inc., an independent organization that works with U.S.-based lawyers to create legal documents, without being tied to a particular law firm. Services are available in all U.S. states (except Louisiana) and provide some of the best values and discounts of all the websites we reviewed.

Starting at $49.95 for a last will and testament, U.S. Legal Wills customers also get free storage for their documents on the company's secure servers, in addition to unlimited updates. You can pay annually or opt for the lifetime feature if you want to keep storing your documents with U.S. Legal Wills, which is only $129.95. It's a more economical choice if you plan on storing your will on its servers for more than a few years. Spouses or partners can get mirror wills (plus additional documents) for 40% off.

You can create a variety of estate planning documents on the U.S. Legal Wills website, then designate what the company calls Keyholders. These are people who have access to your documents, such as trusted family members or the individual you've named as executor .

Members can receive additional support by submitting a ticket through the customer service portal.

Best for Ease of Use : Trust & Will

 Trust & Will

• Price (One-Time) : Starting at $199 for individuals and $299 for couples
• Price (Annual) : Starting at $19 after first year
• Update period : One year

Customers can create their estate planning documents quickly and simply with Trust & Will. The company offers an easy way to decide which option is best through the "Get Started" section of its site. You can then fill in relevant details using an interview-style format.

We also like that Trust & Will makes it easy for you to make your documents legally binding by mailing you your completed documents for free and providing complete instructions.

Comprehensive learning center

Three options available

Website is intuitive to use

Only one year of unlimited updates

No free upfront legal consultations

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Diego, California, Trust & Will aims to modernize the financial planning process by providing an easy and secure way to create your estate plan online. Document creation is seamless using its user-friendly website and its step-by-step path to getting started. The process can take as little as 15 minutes, and the company even mails your completed documents to you for no extra charge, along with instructions to make sure everything is legally binding.

The fintech expert's state-specific trusts offer pretty much everything you'll need, including a living will’s schedule of assets and a revocable living trust to help your loved ones avoid probate. It's one of the only do-it-yourself companies to offer this option.

Trust & Will has a flat fee for wills of $199 for an individual and $299 for couples. A customized trust costs $499, or $599 for couples. This includes unlimited updates for a year. You'll pay $19 annually after the first year for unlimited updates for wills and $39 for trusts.

Best Comprehensive Estate Plan : TotalLegal

Total Legal

• Price (One-Time) : Starting at $19.95
• Update period : 60 days

TotalLegal is one of the only companies that provides comprehensive legal services that include do-it-yourself business and estate planning documents plus free and discounted access to attorneys through its TotalLegal™ plan.

Low annual or monthly fee

Free and discounted legal services for premium members

Create a wide variety of documents

Limited update period for one-off document purchases

No living trusts available

No online access for executors

TotalLegal is part of Pro Se Planning Inc., which provides self-guided legal products, including estate planning and business formation documents. Pro Se Planning was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Customers can purchase and complete individual estate planning documents starting at $19.95 for a last will and testament, which remains available in your online account for 60 days, then offers unlimited updates.

The biggest advantage of TotalLegal is its yearly subscription plan. You get access to legal services for $99 a year, including a consultation, attorney-reviewed documents, and a will with free updates each year. All this provides the most comprehensive resources for those who need some guidance.

Document creation is simple. You’ll go through a series of questions to inform and complete your document, which can then be downloaded and printed. TotalLegal’s help center provides extensive information, and you can always call or email customer support if you have any additional questions.

There are discounted services that include creating a simple will with a trust. You'll also get access to its document storage digital vault service, where there are no storage limits.

Best Free Online Will Maker : Do Your Own Will

 Do Your Own Will

• Price (One-Time) : Free
• Free trial : N/A

This free option offers one of the widest varieties of forms without paying for extras. There's no need to create an account or hand over any credit card details. You can download your documents instantly.

Account not needed to access documents

Available in all 50 states

Save your will as either a PDF or Word document

No legal support

Must check state laws yourself

Do Your Own Will is a completely free way to make a last will and testament, POA, or a living will. Beyond the unbeatable price, one of the major perks is that it’s simple to use. There's no need to sign up for an account, but you'll have to provide your email address if you want to make updates or changes later.

Users complete forms online by filling in details such as marital status, information on your dependents, how you want your assets to be divided, and who you want to name as your executor. Download the document as a PDF or Word document, then you can sign it.

Originally founded in 1999, Do Your Own Will is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It’s available nationwide, but there's one caveat: There's no legal support, so make sure you do your own research to ensure your will is legally binding.

Best for Making Changes : Rocket Lawyer

 Rocket Lawyer

• Price (One-Time) : Free will template
• Price (Annual) : Starting at $239.88
• Free trial : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited with subscription

You get access to all Rocket Lawyer's estate planning documents for one monthly price and you can make updates whenever you like. What makes Rocket Lawyer stand out is its ability to get legal advice for new legal issues and the ability to sign your documents securely online. This allows any changes you make to go into effect immediately.

Wide variety of legal and estate planning documents

Free seven-day trial

Low monthly fee for premium access

Monthly membership pricier than other options

Credit card information required for free trial

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rocket Lawyer offers online legal services that include documents and attorney services. Rocket Lawyer provides customers with two monthly subscription models, which cost $39.99 per month or $239.88 per year, depending on the membership chosen. You get unlimited access to all its legal documents, including the ability to make updates and attorney services. The price also includes a free 30-minute consultation on new legal matters, an “ask a lawyer” option for your legal questions, and other professional services.

You can download wills, trusts, and powers of attorney immediately after you complete all the required information online, and then you'll receive instructions to make the documents legally binding. They can be securely signed online, plus you can invite others to sign them digitally as well. This allows you to make updates and changes quickly. You can also contact customer service by email, online chat, or calling its hotline.

We’re a fan of Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust because you can make your will or trust and other documents with one download for one flat price. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is an option with great features for your estate planning forms if you're computer savvy. However, you may want to choose another option if you want additional help from a live lawyer, and both TotalLegal and Rocket Lawyer offer avenues for accessing attorneys.

If you're looking for a quick, easy-to-use service, then Trust & Will's user-friendly website and its step-by-step document creation process may appeal to you. U.S. Legal Wills, meanwhile, is among the most affordable will options currently available and provides great value for its price. However, if you're on a particularly tight budget, then Do Your Own Will is an excellent free option.

Compare Online Will Makers

What Other Services Does Each Will Maker Offer?

While writing your own will may seem like an intimidating task, the actual complexity will depend on the nature of your estate. You may be better served hiring an estate planning attorney if you possess an intricate web of assets. If your estate is relatively uncomplicated, then you can follow the steps below to put a will together yourself (though it may still be a good idea to have a lawyer review the finished document).

• Catalog your assets : Before you start writing your will, take an inventory of every asset you own/have in your name that you are legally permitted to bequeath in your state. You'll want to be as detailed as possible when you list these assets in your will to avoid any confusion about what a beneficiary should receive.
• Find an online template : You can certainly write a will from scratch, but you can also make things easier on yourself by utilizing an online template from a reputable source. This will reduce the amount of time you'll spend writing and minimize the chances of making any errors. Ensure whichever template you choose includes any additional clauses important to you, such as what powers your executor should have or how assets not assigned to any beneficiaries ought to be handled.
• Start with your name and address : While the exact identifying information you'll need in your will may vary based on the template, you'll typically have to include your full legal name, city (and possibly county), and state. Make sure your template includes a sentence revoking any prior wills you may have had.
• Name your executor(s) and guardian(s) (if applicable) : In your will, you'll need to identify the executor administering your will (as well as their successor if your first choice is unavailable) and the guardian (plus their successor) you're granting custody of your minor children (if you have any). You'll also likely have to include the mailing address and Social Security number (SSN) of each individual you name in your will. Be sure to first communicate with each individual you want to name as an executor or guardian to ensure they're willing to accept their respective roles.
• Choose your beneficiaries and the asset(s) they will receive : As with your executor(s) and guardian(s), you'll have to name the beneficiaries receiving your assets, in addition to potentially providing their mailing addresses, SSNs, and relations to you. You'll then need to specify which asset(s) each person or organization will be given.
• Sign and date your will : Once you've finished writing your will, the final step is signing it before the witnesses required by your state. If you don't complete this step, then your will won't be legally binding.

After making copies of your completed will, store the original somewhere safe and inform your executor(s) of where they can find it. You'll also want to review and revise your will every few years and after any major upheavals in your life.

Assets You Can Include in a Will

After cataloguing your assets, you'll then need to determine which assets you can actually include in your will. Certain assets, such as joint owned property, can't or won't need to be listed in a will. Below are the most important types of assets that (if you have them) you should be sure to include when making your estate plan:

• Bank accounts : This category includes checking accounts, saving accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs). If you have any bank accounts that have a payable on death (POD) or transfer on death (TOD) designation, then you don't need to list them in your will.
• Investments : If you've invested in any securities, such as stocks; bonds; commodities; U.S. bills, notes, and bonds; or mutual funds, then you'll also need to include those in your will. Retirement plans with investment assets in them (i.e., IRA, 401(k), etc.) only need to be listed if these accounts don't have designated beneficiaries.
• Real estate : Houses (both primary residences and vacation homes) and mobile homes, rental properties (including duplexes), condos, co-ops, timeshares, undeveloped and agricultural land, and even boat/marina dock space are all real estate assets that should be included in your will.
• Businesses : If you own a business or have other business interests related to a partnership, limited partnership, LLC, or corporation, then you may need to list these in your will to prevent any confusion after you pass. You should also include any business property for which you are the sole owner.
• Personal items : This category broadly covers any physical and digital assets you own that you'd want to pass onto your beneficiaries. While it's impossible to list every kind of property that might be considered a personal item, common examples include jewelry and precious metals, vehicles (such as cars, bicycles, motorcycles, motor homes/RVs, boats, and planes), furniture, appliances, family heirlooms, art, and other collectibles.
• Pets : This is a bit of a special case; legally, pets are considered property. This means that, if you pass away and don't have a plan in place for any animals you own, the courts will treated them like any other asset without a designated beneficiary. As such, you'll want to appoint a guardian for your pet in your will, much as you would for any minors or others you're responsible for.

Pros and Cons of Having a Will

Control over how your assets are distributed

Ensure your loved ones are cared for

Probate process can take a long time

Won't take effect in the event of incapacitation

Becomes a public record after your death

Pros of Having a Will

• Control over how your assets are distributed : Perhaps the greatest benefit of having a will is that it ensures your assets are distributed to your beneficiaries according to your wishes (unless you have outstanding debt, in which case your estate would be used to pay off whatever you owe). Without a will, your estate will typically be subject to intestate succession, wherein your state's intestacy laws will determine how your assets are distributed.
• Ensure your loved ones are cared for : In addition to ensuring your loved ones are cared for financially, having a will allows you to control who will look after your dependents (any minor children, pets, etc. for whom you're the primary caregiver) in the event of your passing. If you don't have this outlined in a will, the courts will appoint a guardian for your dependents.

Cons of Having a Will

• Probate process can take a long time : Perhaps the biggest downside of a will is that the probate process, wherein the courts review the deceased's assets and either determine inheritors or validate the will, can take a considerable amount of time. Depending on how complex your estate is and where you live, probate can take several months to over a year. This process can drag on for even longer if you have property in multiple states, as your beneficiaries will have to go through probate in each one.
• Won't take effect in the event of incapacitation : In the event that you're still living but become physically or mentally unable to manage your affairs, an advance directive (also known as a living will) will be required to designate someone who can make medical care decisions on your behalf. At the same time, you will need a living trust for you to appoint someone to manage your financial affairs. Since a last will and testament only goes into effect when you pass away, you cannot use it for either of these purposes.
• Becomes a public record after your death : Your will is considered a confidential document while you're still alive. After you pass away and the will goes through probate, it becomes a public document. A will becomes a public record so that anyone not included in your will can have a chance to file a claim against your estate.

Alternative to a Will

The primary alternative to a will is a living trust . The latter is a legal arrangement wherein an individual designates assets that are transferred to a trust account, which is managed by a trustee of the account opener's choosing. A living trust is created when the account opener signs a trust agreement, which typically specifies the trust's purpose, what kinds of assets it holds, the trustee's duties and responsibilities, and which assets in the trust each beneficiary will receive after the grantor dies.

Wills and living trusts share many similarities, but there are a few key differences that set them apart from one another:

• A will is a straightforward document that only details how the testator's assets should be distributed after their passing. Meanwhile, a living trust is a complicated arrangement wherein the grantor sets aside specific assets to fund a trust account while they're alive.
• A will doesn't go into effect until after the testator dies, whereas a living trust is in effect as soon as it's signed.
• In most cases, a will goes into probate after the testator dies, and a trust avoids the probate process entirely.
• A will becomes part of the public record, whereas a living trust's details will only be known to the grantor, trustee, and beneficiaries.

Although a living trust can be considered an alternative to a will, they aren't mutually exclusive. If you want to have an especially comprehensive estate plan , you can have both a will and a living trust. However, if your estate isn't particularly complex, then a will by itself may be sufficient.

Why You Should Trust Us

Investopedia collected and analyzed several key data points from over 13 companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing an online will maker. We used this data to review each company for price, availability, compatibility with various devices, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right financial decisions for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best online will makers since 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online wills legit.

Online wills are legitimate as long as 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, but you'll want to make sure that your final documents will carry the same weight as one that an attorney creates. Check the fine print of the online will company to make sure it’s compliant in your state.

Is Paying for an Online Will Maker Worth It?

Using a free online will service can suffice if your estate is simple and straightforward: You don’t have any children, your only beneficiary is your spouse, and your estate is very small. But you'll probably benefit from using a paid service if you have a larger estate or a more complex situation, or if you want a legal professional to help you work through your documents and other financial affairs.

Who Should Draw Up a Will?

It's a good idea for anyone with assets that multiple heirs can legitimately claim. Not dividing up assets can cause litigation among family members, creating resentment and heartache after the individual passes.

Should an Individual Write Their Own Will?

It's inadvisable to write your own will without any sort of legal guidance unless you have an up-to-date background in and knowledge of estate law. Otherwise, it's too easy to inadvertently sidestep a rule or law in your state that you didn't even know about. This could result in your final wishes not being carried out, throwing your estate into chaos as the court looks for alternate solutions. Always touch base with a legal professional before writing and finalizing your own will.

What Should You Avoid Putting in a Will?

Your will is not a private document after your death, so don't include anything that you don't want to become a matter of public record. Forming a living trust is a much more private estate-planning alternative. It will avoid airing out all the most intimate details of your life in probate court. A will must pass through probate in order for your estate to be settled.

What Is the Best Online Will Maker?

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust website offers the best online will maker. However, depending on your needs, you may be better suited with another company. Do Your Own Will, for example, is a great free option, so long as you're confident in your ability to create a legally binding will without any legal support.

Are Wills Really Necessary?

In most cases, a will is an indispensable part of an estate plan. If you pass away without a will, then you risk your assets being distributed to different persons or parties than you might have wished for. Having a will in place can give you the peace of mind that this won't come to pass. There are a few cases where a will isn't strictly necessary, such as if you lack sufficient assets or any beneficiaries.

What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?

Wills and trusts are both estate planning documents, the former being a document detailing the testator's wishes for their assets, while the latter requires funding a trust account with certain assets that the grantor has set aside for it. Additional differences include that wills become effective after the testator passes (living trusts are in effect after signing), trusts avoid the probate process that most wills are subject to, and wills are public records.

How We Pick the Best Online Will Makers

Our goal is to make sure our recommendations are ones we would share with our family and friends when looking to choose an online will maker company. We looked at 13 companies before choosing the top providers. Factors we looked at include company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, whether the product was simple to use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by the payment we receive from advertisers.  Click here to learn more about our review process.

Investopedia / Zoe Hansen

LinkedIn. " Nolo ."

Nolo. " About Us ."

Quicken Willmaker & Trust 2024. " A Powerful Estate Planner Without the High Costs ."

US Legal Wills. " About Us ."

United States Legal Wills. " Prices ."

Trust & Will. " Founding Story ."

CBInsights. " Trust & Will ."

Trust & Will. " Pricing for Our Estate Planning Products ."

LinkedIn. " Pro Se Planning, Inc ."

TotalLegal. " Prices ."

CBInsights. " DoYourOwnWill.com ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Rocket Lawyer Introduces Rocket Tax ."

LinkedIn. " Rocket Lawyer ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Memberships and Pricing ."

Trust & Will. " What to Include in a Will: Property, Assets & More ."

Nolo. " Making a Will: What Property to Include ."

Trust & Will. " Pet Guardianship - What It Is and Why You Need It ."

Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Advice. " Debts and Deceased Relatives ."

Cornell Law School: Legal Information Institute. " Intestate Succession ."

National Council on Aging. " Last Will and Testament Guide for 2024 ."

California Courts: The Judicial Branch of California. " Wills, Estates, and Probate ."

Cornell Law School: Legal Information Institute. " Ancillary Probate ."

Cornell Law School: Legal Information Institute. " Incapacitated ."

Family Caregiver Alliance. " Legal Planning for Incapacity ."

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. " What Is a Revocable Living Trust? "

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America 's online .css-rqgsqp{position:relative;z-index:1;} .css-6n7j50{display:inline;} Will writing service.

Each step is carefully thought out to make your Will writing experience as smooth as possible. We also include helpful tips and links to relevant guides throughout. Did we mention that our Will experts will personally help you via our chat button?

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There is actually more to estate planning than just Wills. That's why our service includes a Will, plus other important documents that help organize your affairs.

A breakdown of the different sections of our estate planning package and their contents. Select each section in the dropdown menu to view more.

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We have put together a brief video showcasing how our platform looks and what you can expect out of the process.

Keep your Will up to date

Circumstances in life can change often, and your Will should change with them. That's why we offer unlimited updates with our "Editing Membership" for $39 per year. Compare that with the significantly higher amendment fees at traditional law firms and Will writing firms. We even throw in the first year for free! Just sign back in anytime and make the necessary amendments. Receive an updated version of your estate planning bundle.

Frequently asked questions

What is the online will service, what is the benefit of using the online will service, is an online will legal, what is the online will service process.

• Sign up for an account
• Answer a series of questions about yourself and your wishes
• Receive your Will within 2 working days
• Sign and witness your Will
• Store your Will in a safe place
• Update your Will as needed

Can I make my Will online?

Can i make changes to my will, can my partner and i make a will together, how long does it take to make a will, plan your future with us ..

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Best Online Will Makers of 2024

Dalia Ramirez writes about home services and estate planning for NerdWallet. She has a Bachelor of Arts in science and technology studies and critical theory from Wesleyan University. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Bloomberg and The Associated Press. She is based in New York City.

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The best online will makers are reasonably priced, easy to use and tailored to each state’s requirements and offer online wills that are customizable to your life circumstances. Online will makers also can guide you through the process with good support and help you start estate planning on your timeline. Here are our top picks.

If you have a complicated family situation or large estate, you may want to hire an attorney to help craft yours. But online wills and online will makers can cost less and meet your state’s legal requirements, too.

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker: Best all-inclusive

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker

Nolo’s services are among the most comprehensive on the market.

• Straightforward, user-friendly process.
• One year of free updates to your documents.
• Access to over 35 estate planning documents depending on plan.
• Software download available with only Windows 8.1/10/11 or macOS 10.13 and higher.
• Documents aren’t valid in Louisiana or U.S. territories.
• No access to attorney support.

on Nolo's website

What it looks like

Why we like it

Nolo’s services are among the most comprehensive on the market. Its Quicken WillMaker offers over 35 state-specific estate planning documents in one place, available online or as a software download. The service can be used to make a pour-over will, health care directive , living trust , letters to survivors and other financial management documents, depending on your annual plan.

All three plans help you craft a will via a simple, straightforward questionnaire that guides you to the documents you need. If you decide not to use the cloud version, be sure you have enough space on your computer (54 megabytes) to download the software.

» MORE: See our full review of Quicken WillMaker

GoodTrust: Best for digital assets

GoodTrust's “Digital Vault” feature is helpful for incorporating your online assets into your estate plan for a reasonable cost.

• Digital vault for organizing online accounts and digital assets.
• Unlimited updates.
• Family plan (each adult member can create their own documents) for no additional cost.
• No attorney support.
• Documents aren’t state-specific but are binding in all 50 states when following state-specific instructions.

on GoodTrust's website

GoodTrust stands out for its “Digital Vault” feature, an encrypted online platform for secure storage of any online asset, including social media accounts, subscriptions and online banking information. You can add a trusted contact to any account on an item-by-item basis and provide detailed instructions, such as how to memorialize your Facebook account or where to transfer your Venmo balance.

GoodTrust offers key estate planning documents for a reasonable fee compared to other estate planning services. The service includes customer support via email ticket and live chat during the will-making process.

» MORE: Learn what can happen if you die intestate (without a will)

Trust & Will: Best for ease of use

Trust & Will

Trust & Will stands out for its quick and easy-to-use process.

• Simple and straightforward process for an online will.
• Unlimited updates with an annual membership.
• Add a year of attorney support for $300.
• Not great for complex family or financial situations.

on Trust & Will's website

Trust & Will stands out for its quick and easy-to-use process. The online will maker service includes HIPAA authorization, living will and power of attorney documents. You can download your documents, but all documents also ship free for first-time users with state-specific notarization instructions.

The Trust & Will website also includes a library of educational content to help users understand estate planning, and unlimited attorney support is available for $200 per year.

» MORE: See our full review of Trust & Will

Rocket Lawyer: Best customer service

Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer stands out for its customer service, which includes the option to contact a lawyer for legal assistance via phone, email or online chat.

• Free seven-day membership trial.
• 30-minute phone consultation with a lawyer included with membership.
• Built-in chat feature to ask a lawyer questions.
• Membership can be costly.
• Must have membership to make changes after the trial period expires.

on Rocket Lawyer's website

Rocket Lawyer stands out for its customer service, which includes the option to contact a lawyer for legal assistance via phone, email or online chat. This service is included in Rocket Lawyer’s $39.99 monthly fee, which gives you access to all estate planning documents on the platform.

Otherwise, you can fill out the company’s free will template. The seven-day free trial is a great way to take advantage of the upgraded customer service, but you’ll have to pay to make updates after the trial ends.

» MORE: See our full review of Rocket Lawyer's Online Will

LegalZoom: Best state-specific legal advice

LegalZoom’s online will maker, like its other legal services, uses flat-fee pricing and offers attorney assistance for an added fee.

• Attorneys available for consultation in all 50 states.
• Flat-fee pricing.
• More expensive than some other online will makers.
• Relatively narrow document offerings.

on LegalZoom's website

LegalZoom’s online will maker, like its other legal services, uses flat-fee pricing and offers attorney assistance for an added fee. The company has independent attorneys available in all 50 states who can help make sure your documents comply with your state’s laws.

You can craft an online will starting at $199, which includes a power of attorney designation form and health care directives.

» MORE: See our full review of LegalZoom's online will maker

Do Your Own Will: Best free will software

Do Your Own Will

Do Your Own Will offers wills, living wills and power of attorney documents for download as PDFs and Word documents.

• Free documents, including living will and power of attorney.
• No account or credit card information needed.
• You’ll need to check state laws to make sure your will complies.
• No legal support available.

on Nerdwallet

Do Your Own Will offers wills, living wills and power of attorney documents for download as PDFs and Word documents. You can select your state and fill in basic information to craft a basic will at no cost. This service doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other online will makers, and you may need to double-check the legal standards for your state, but it’s simple, functional and free.

» MORE: See our full review of Do Your Own Will

Fabric by Gerber Life: Best online will maker for young families

Fabric by Gerber Life

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a free online will maker catered to families with young children.

• Free online will template.
• Option to buy life insurance through the website.
• Specifically made for families with young children.
• No attorney access available.
• Wills aren’t state-specific.

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a free online will maker catered to families with young children. Fabric’s will template isn’t state-specific, though the website does provide instructions to make your will legally binding in your state. The process is fairly quick and offers an easy way to appoint guardians and beneficiaries , with the option to sign up for life insurance through the platform as well.

» MORE: See our full review of Fabric by Gerber Life Will

What other services does each will maker offer?

Are online wills legit?

Online wills can be legally binding if they’re specific to your state and properly notarized. Notarization requirements can vary from state to state; in some, you may need only two witnesses to sign and won’t need an attorney. Also, make sure to use a reputable, well-reviewed online will maker if you’re going the do-it-yourself route.

Other ways to write a will

Download a template.

Many websites have free and low-priced will templates available for download. You can find templates specific to your state and estate situation, though more specific forms may cost extra.

A template is a decent starter option if you can’t invest in a more comprehensive effort, but make sure the template meets your needs and state legal requirements.

Hire an attorney or estate tax professional

If your estate is complex or large, it might be worth your time and money to consult an estate planning attorney right away, especially if you live in a state with its own estate or inheritance taxes .

Hiring a professional can help ensure that you’re protected in specific situations you may have concerns about, including special child care provisions, business issues or a blended family with multiple heirs.

Hybrid approach

You can start writing your will yourself and then ask an attorney any lingering questions. By starting the process, you'll have answered or anticipated most questions a legal adviser would have and be able to discuss any concerns.

Your fees might also be lower because you’ll have done much of the prep work before consulting an attorney. However, even a partial lawyer's fee is more expensive than other will-writing methods, and working with a professional can be time-consuming and require multiple appointments.

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How to Write Your Will Online in 15 Minutes

One quick document can avoid leaving your estate in a mess.

My great-uncle, a bachelor and bon vivant, wrote his will on a cocktail napkin. It probably took less than 15 minutes to complete. When he died 14 years later, at age 90, the will was ruled valid in his state because it was properly witnessed by two people at a bar.

But you can write your will quickly and inexpensively without resorting to a napkin.

Laurie Macdonald, 66, had put off writing a will for years when she discovered FreeWill, a no-fee, online will-writing service. The former Florida program director of Defenders of Wildlife had once begun drafting a will with an attorney but never finished. FreeWill allowed her to get it done, Macdonald says: “It took more than 15 minutes, though probably not more than half an hour.”

Why bother?

Die without a will, and your state's laws determine who gets your assets — your bank accounts and everything else. A will is where you can make sure your camera collection goes to your nephew and your jewelry is divided among your daughters. Most important , if you have young children, a will is also where you can name a guardian for them should you die before they reach adulthood.

"For many people, state laws don't exactly meet their needs,” says attorney Paul Kassabian, legal product counsel at LegalZoom, which offers online will-writing packages. Macdonald's longtime partner, for one, wouldn't inherit anything at Macdonald's death if there were no will. Still, many people die without this document, leaving their heirs to battle over their estates. And you don't need to have Aretha Franklin's millions for such fights to get nasty.

It's easy to put off …

Forty-five percent of Americans 55 and older don't have a will, according to a new survey from Merrill Lynch and Age Wave. Why might that be? In 2017, when Caring.com, a senior-care resource, asked adults without a will why that was so, the most common answer was, “I just haven't gotten around to it.” The arrival of children didn't seem to have much impact: Only 36 percent of respondents with children under 18 had end-of-life plans in place.

… But easy to get done

Do-it-yourself sites and software can smooth the process. Says Macdonald about FreeWill, for instance: “It was really clear, really simple.” Supported by nonprofit organizations that might benefit from philanthropic commitments made in wills generated at its site, FreeWill has produced more than 27,000 wills since 2017; Rocket Lawyer says it has created over a million.

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State laws matter

If you don't follow all the local formalities, your will may not be legally valid. A lot can go wrong. In New York, witnesses need to include their residential addresses. In Utah, handwritten wills must be penned entirely by the person making the will. And in Louisiana, wills must be signed in the presence of a notary public. Find links to your state's laws .

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Avoid these goofs

Put your funeral wishes in your will and you may not get the send-off you planned. “Your will may not even be found until after you're buried,” cautions Kevin Flatley, an attorney and author of  The Little Blue Book of Estate Planning . Another common error is naming someone your executor without asking if he or she wants the job. Finally, retirement account assets, life insurance and annuities don't pass down via wills. Beneficiary-designation forms rule here. If they're not up to date, your ex-spouse could end up inheriting against your wishes.

See an attorney

If you have significant assets, children from multiple marriages or complicated business arrangements, you may need professional legal help. “There are a lot of variables, and it's easy for a layperson to overlook something,” says Flatley, noting that a will by itself may not be sufficient.

Low-bill wills

Where to go for a will when on a budget:

• FreeWill  This no-cost service also allows you to draw up a new will gratis if your wishes or circumstances change.
• LegalZoom  Services range from a $69 will to a $149 package that includes a living trust and related documents. 
• Quicken WillMaker Plus 2019  This $80 software package can create a will and other estate-planning paperwork. 
• Rocket Lawyer  A membership giving you access to estate-planning documents is $40 per month

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Bigmore Wills and Probate offer tailored, professional will writing services, probate guidance, and Lasting Power of Attorneys all at a competitive price. We also offer Estate and Inheritance Tax planning advice. Our specialist advisors will provide you and your family with the peace of mind in knowing that your wishes are carefully considered and cared for.

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The 5 Best Online Will Makers of 2024

• An online will maker service for your estate planning needs costs anywhere from $0–$299.
• You can create a legally binding will for free in a few hours when you use Rocket Lawyer.
• Our top choice for online will makers of 2024 is Legal Zoom because of its step-by step process with guidance from knowledgeable attorneys, range of offerings, and easy-to-use platform.

Our  Reviews Team  is made up of credentialed attorneys who researched and used the online will-making services we reviewed so we can help you decide which is best for you. We selected our top choices based on:

• 200+ hours of research
• 100+ hours of estate law education
• Eight brands reviewed
• Five brands selected
• Four experts consulted
• 500+ third party reviews referenced

To better explain our research, we’ve listed pros and cons, best uses, and rankings of common features.

Creating a will can be an overwhelming and expensive process, which might be why only 46% of all American adults have one, according to a Gallup poll . [1] Gallup.com. How Many Americans Have a Will? June 23, 2021. Found on the Internet at https://news.gallup.com/poll/351500/how-many-americans-have-will.aspx Miranda M. Riva, Esq. headshot Miranda M. Riva But it is possible to create a long-lasting will for an affordable price. If an attorney isn’t in your budget, an online will-making service can be a good alternative.

Online will-making services ask a series of questions to help you generate your will document and use your responses to generate a state-specific form you can download and print. Experienced estate attorneys design or review state-specific forms. As long as you provide accurate information and execute your will in accordance with your state’s laws, your online will should be legally acceptable.

While an online will is a viable option for most people, the following circumstances might be better handled with the help of an attorney:

• Complex financial situation (for example, large amounts of debt)
• Complicated family structure (for example, questions of disinheritance)
• Undecided wishes (for example, how to divide your estate)

Our Reviews Team researched and tested the best online will-making services. In this article, we summarize our experience and compare and contrast picks for the best will-making services on the internet.

A quick look at the best online will maker services

• LegalZoom : Editor’s Pick
• Trust & Will : Most User-Friendly
• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust : Best Value
• GoodTrust : Best for All-in-One Services
• Rocket Lawyer : Most Affordable
• U.S. LegalWills : Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates

Comparison of best online will makers, as of August 2024

*Create a will for free during the seven-day trial period.

**If your order has been completed, you have 7 days from completion to request a refund.

The best online will maker services of 2024

Editor’s pick: legalzoom.

LegalZoom was one of the first companies in online legal assistance. Since its founding in 2001, it has helped more than 2 million customers with their estate planning needs. Unlike its competitors, LegalZoom offers direct attorney assistance in several legal specialties, making it qualified to assist customers with a wide variety of legal needs. In addition, Legal Zoom has one of the lowest starting costs for creating a will, earning it our distinction of “Editor’s Pick.”

• Promotions:  N/A
• Document storage:  Yes, with LegalZoom account
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, with certain packages or membership
• Unlimited updates: Free for 30 days or 1 year with certain packages
• Satisfaction guarantee:  60-day full refund

LegalZoom estate planning packages

LegalZoom offers four different estate planning packages, and each has varying access to attorneys.

All packages include a healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, 30 days of free revisions, and printing & shipping of one set of documents.

Here is the current package information that LegalZoom offers:

Basic Will ($99):

Everything mentioned above plus:

• Last will & testament

Premium Will ($249)

• Attorney review of your documents
• Unlimited 30 day min calls with an attorney for 1 year
• Attorney advice for your family
• 1 year of free revisions

Basic Trust ($399)

• Living trust
• Pour-over will
• Certificate of trust
• Schedule of assets
• Bill of transfer

Premium Trust ($549)

• Unlimited 30 min calls with an attorney for 1 year

The questionnaire to generate your will is easy to use. You can download the packet immediately, and it includes instructions for making your will valid under your state’s laws. Unlike other services with an annual or monthly membership and unlimited updates, LegalZoom doesn’t have a process for you to update your documents outside of the specified time period with your package. For example, if you purchase the basic will for $99, but you wait to make changes until after the 30-day unlimited update window, you’ll have to pay $199 to make revisions.

Legal Assist plan membership

LegalZoom offers direct attorney assistance through its Legal Assist plan membership. Available to all users seeking legal advice on any topic, it can be purchased as a year-long membership for $199 or a six-month membership for $119. Direct attorney assistance is automatically built into the Premium Will and Premium Trust packages.

The membership offers unlimited 30-minute consultations on new legal matters. A new legal matter is completely unique from, and not at all related to, a legal matter you previously inquired about.

For example, you may be limited to a single 30-minute discussion about your will document. If you need to go over 30-minutes or make a second inquiry about it, it may not be considered a “new legal matter.” In that case, the attorney you’re connected with will give you their fee structure (which varies by attorney) and bill you for any additional time. You’re always connected with an attorney in your state, so that fee will vary based on your location and their firm’s billable hourly cost. If you’re a LegalZoom member, you’ll get 25% off the firm’s standard rate for representation.

Because Legal Assist is a yearly or six-month membership, it will auto-renew at the year or six-month mark, depending on what you have chosen. If you purchased a Premium Will or Premium Trust package, you can expect the Legal Assist portion of this to auto-renew after a year for $199.

Customer reviews

LegalZoom has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot based on 3,300 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers mentioned they were longtime subscribers, and the service continues to meet their needs. We found 13% of all reviewers gave LegalZoom 1 out of 5 stars, complaining the website often directs to an error page and provides unclear descriptions of deadlines and fees.

Our experience

The overall questionnaire process for completing a will was straightforward and in easy-to-understand language.

It was easy to sign up and purchase a package. We were impressed with the value of the Premium Will, which is an extra $100 but comes with unlimited, 30-minute phone calls with an attorney for up to a year and one year of free revisions.

When we asked questions through chat, a helpful response followed within five minutes. We reached a representative by phone within 10 minutes. An email response took around one business day.

Customer service options

• Phone:  888-379-0854 available 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, weekends
• Email:  [email protected]
• Contact on the website:   Contact us

Most User-Friendly: Trust & Will

Trust & Will earned our “Most User-Friendly” status for two main reasons: the site gave helpful explanations and tips throughout the will-creation process, and it provided thorough and well-researched resources for additional information on estate planning topics. Each time we asked a question using any of the provided channels of contact, our Legal Reviews Team received an accurate answer within two hours. Compared with other companies on this list that took at least one day to respond, the quick turnaround time is impressive. We felt this was the closest experience to hiring a lawyer.

• Cost:  $199
• Promotions:  $10 off with code Gimmie10
• Document storage:  Yes, with annual Trust & Will membership
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, for an additional cost (currently only available in 17 states)
• Unlimited updates:  Free for the first year, then $19 per year
• Satisfaction guarantee:  30-day full refund

Trust & Will Estate Planning Package

Trust & Will currently only offers a single package for creating an online will.

Will-based estate package ($199):

Last will and testament

• Power of attorney
• Living will
• HIPAA authorization form A HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) authorization form is important when you execute a living will or advance health care directive because it gives the person in charge of medical decisions access to your medical history.

For more information about this online will service, read our in-depth Trust & Will review.

Trust & Will was founded in 2017 and has quickly become established in the online estate planning industry. The company offers a free year of unlimited updates with your $199 purchase. To make changes to your documents after the year has passed, you can become a member for $19 per year, and you can make unlimited updates for as long as you retain membership. Trust & Will also offers do-it-yourself probate tools executors of a will (those who carry out the will) can purchase if they need state-specific assistance when entering   probate Probate is the legal procedure your estate goes through after you pass away.  court.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for when completing your estate documents, you can use the chat function at the bottom of the page,  send an email , or  fill out an inquiry form  to get help from an expert. You can use the chat function to connect with someone  during business hours  or find out more information about a topic. find recommended resources, and connect to an expert if you need help.

Trust & Will has 4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot based on more than 3,400 reviews. Close to 90% of the reviews left by customers are 5 out of 5 stars. Customers called out the simplicity and clarity of the platform overall, as well as great customer service when issues or questions arose. Complaints focused on issues with the website timing out and no room for customizations when answering questions.

At first glance, Trust & Will has one of the most visually organized website designs in the industry. The layout is intuitive and easy to navigate.

One thing our team didn’t like is its lack of a simple will option and overall inability to customize. While it offers high-quality documents, you may not need all four of the documents in the package.

The auto-response that appears when you ask a question leads to a number of related resources we found helpful. We waited five minutes to talk to an expert on chat, and the wait for an email response was a few hours.

Read more in our full  Trust & Will  review.

• Phone:  866-908-7878 available 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT
• Email:  [email protected]
• Contact on the website:   Submit a request

Best Value: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

Quicken WillMaker & Trust gets the “Best Value” label from our Reviews Team because it generates comprehensive and high-quality estate planning documents at a reasonable price. Although its starting cost ($99) is higher than most companies on this list, it stands apart by offering free unlimited updates for one year, a 30-day full refund, and wills for multiple family members. Since family members are meant to share the service, you can make separate wills for different people for no additional cost.

• Cost:  $99–$209
• Promotions:  25% off with code T1040
• Document storage:  Yes, with the top package through a partnership with  Everplans
• Access to an attorney:  Not through platform, but Nolo can connect you with a local attorney
• Unlimited updates:  Free for the first year, then cost varies based on package ($99–$209)

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust packages

Quicken WillMaker & Trust offers three different customized estate plan packages:

Starter ($99):

• Health care power of attorney
• Final arrangement forms

Plus ($139):

The plus package has all the starter package features and:

• Financial power of attorney
• Letters to survivors
• Transfer on death deed
• Estate planning tools available as downloadable software

All-access ($209):

The all-access package has all the starter and plus package features and:

• One year subscription to  Everplans  (document and information storage service)

If you can’t decide which package you want, our Reviews Team recommends beginning with the starter package. You can upgrade at any time in your dashboard.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust has been helping customers make their wills for the last 30 years. The online questionnaire format doesn’t require you to download anything, which keeps the process simple. But if you want to keep your personal information off the internet, the downloadable software guarantees your documents are only accessible through your personal device. Along with increased privacy, the software offers a high-contrast mode for people with  vision loss .

To make the process easy, Quicken WillMaker & Trust provides a checklist before starting the questionnaire. A “helpful information” box below the prompt will guide you if you are unsure of how to answer. Quicken WillMaker & Trust also provides an  extensive book (available online)  with detailed instructions and additional information to help create your will.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust has 4.5 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 230 reviews. Of those reviews, 74% give the service 5 out of 5 stars, specifically mentioning how easy the product is to use and its inclusivity for people of all ages and backgrounds. Only 5% of users gave 1 out of 5 stars, mentioning never hearing back from customer service after making an inquiry and having technical issues with the software.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust was by far the easiest platform for our Reviews Team to purchase and use. The language throughout the questionnaire was clear, and the option for further information provided an extra layer of guidance. We were specifically impressed with the number of high-quality documents you can get for such an affordable cost.

We found it difficult to get in contact with the company, since you don’t have access to direct contact links or a chat feature on the website. But we were able to reach a representative within five minutes using the toll-free phone number. An email response took around one business day. Customer service can only help with service- and product-related issues. They cannot answer legal questions.

For more information about this online will service, read our in-depth  LegalZoom Review .

• Phone:  800-728-3555 available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday
• Email:   [email protected]
• Contact on the website:  N/A

Best for all-in-one services: GoodTrust

GoodTrust earned the “best for all-in-one services” from our Reviews Team because this estate planning service offers users everything they need to create a will, trust, and advance directives in one, comprehensive package. In addition to their all-in-one services, GoodTrust includes unlimited wills for all adult family members and unlimited revisions to documents for the first year. Although GoodTrust doesn’t offer attorney support, they state all of their documents were created by experienced attorneys to ensure accuracy.

• Promotions: N/A
• Document storage: Yes
• Access to an attorney: No
• Unlimited updates: Free for 1 year, $39 annual members for continued changes after year
• Satisfaction guarantee: 14-day full refund

GoodTrust offers one estate planning package which includes a will, trust, power of attorney, advanced directives, funeral directives, guardianship documentation, and storage of all important documents in their Smart Digital Vault.

Unlimited revisions are included in the GoodTrust package for one year, which costs $149. Additional revisions can be made after one year as part of the subscription service costing $39 per year.

Since their founding in 2020, GoodTrust has been offering one comprehensive estate planning package along with document storage in their Smart Digital Vault. Because GoodTrust doesn’t offer attorney support, we feel this service is best for individuals with straightforward estate planning needs who desire a simple, self-guided process for completing their needed documents in one place. GoodTrust stands out as an all-in-one service since their package includes a will, trust, directives, and power of attorney, along with additional wills for all adult family members at no added cost.

According to GoodTrust, all of their documents have been created by experienced attorneys and unlimited revisions can be made for up to one year, after which changes can be made using their $39 yearly subscription.

GoodTrust has a 3.5 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot based on 40 reviews. Of those reviews, 60% give the service 5 out 5 stars, specifically mentioning the helpfulness of customer support when users had questions about completing their documents. Of the 40 reviewers, 15% give GoodTrust 1 out of 5 stars, with one reviewer unsatisfied with the price and another the lack of state-specific services.

Contact on the website: mygoodtrust.com/contact

Most Affordable: Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is the only online will service we reviewed that generates a downloadable will for free, which is why we named it “Most Affordable.” It ties with U.S. LegalWills for the lowest starting price ($39), but it offers more forms with no extra cost and has attorneys available, unlike U.S. LegalWills.

• Cost:  $0–$19.99 per month
• Promotions:  Seven-day free trial followed by a month-long trial for $5
• Document storage:  Yes, with monthly Rocket Lawyer membership
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, unlimited 30-minute consultation on new legal issues
• Unlimited updates:  Free for seven days, $5 for the second month, then $39.99 per month
• Satisfaction guarantee:  No

Rocket Lawyer estate planning package

Rocket Lawyer doesn’t offer a specific estate package, but for the free seven-day trial and while you’re an active member paying the monthly $39.99 fee, you’ll get access to hundreds of other state-specific legal forms, and you’ll be able to make unlimited changes to your documents.

When you pay for the membership, you’ll also get one free 30-minute consultation with an attorney regarding any new legal matters (new and unrelated to previous inquiries) that arise.

Rocket Lawyer is known mostly for its quick and easy-to-use website with free legal forms and templates. It may be a good option if you’re about to have surgery and want to quickly get a will in place.

After you create an account and answer questions to create your will, you’ll need to put in your credit card information before you can download your document. You’ll have access to your will and any other legal form you can find on the Rocket Lawyer database for free during the initial seven-day trial. After your trial expires, Rocket Lawyer will automatically charge $39.99 per month, unless you cancel ahead of time.

While our team chose Rocket Lawyer as a great free option for creating your will, this service doesn’t provide extra assistance or guidance when completing the questionnaire. Additionally, if you forget to cancel the free trial, you may end up paying more for your documents than if you chose a different service.

Rocket Lawyer has 4.7 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 7,000 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers highlighted the free document feature and the range of legal forms available on the database. Only 4% of customers gave it 1 out of 5 stars, reporting difficulty canceling the subscription and issues connecting with an attorney.

Rocket Lawyer is a great resource for legal forms, especially for estate planning. We also like that you can get a custom-made will for free.

What we didn’t like is how you go through the questionnaire process before you’re asked to put in credit card information. It felt misleading at first, since it’s advertised as a free will but also asks for payment before you can view the finished document. If you call or email to cancel your subscription within the seven-day period you can complete and download whatever legal forms you want for free. When we emailed, we got a response back within five hours. When calling, it took about 15 minutes to connect with a representative.

Customer Service Options

• Phone:  877-881-0947 available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday
• Email:  N/A
• Contact on the website:  ( Contact us )

Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates: U.S. LegalWills

What makes U.S. LegalWills stand out is the cost of unlimited updates, which is why we named it “Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates.” Most notably, the lifetime deal costs a flat fee of $129.95. For other online will services, the cost to make unlimited updates ranges from $19 to more than $300 per year. Cost varies depending on how long you want to be able to make updates.

• Cost:  $39.95–$129.95
• Promotions:  When you join, your partner will get 40% off their membership; refer a friend, they get a 10% discount, and you get a $20 Amazon gift card
• Document storage:  Yes, with purchase
• Access to an attorney:  No
• Unlimited updates:  Yes, cost varies

U.S. LegalWills estate planning packages

Last will and testament ($39.95):

Premium last will and testament ($69.95):

The premium package has all the last will and testament package features and:

• Personalized messages and wishes
• Family access to your documents

Complete estate plan ($99.95):

The complete estate plan has all the premium package features and:

Premium estate plan ($129.95):

The premium estate plan has all the complete estate plan features and:

• My Life Locker
• Digital Vault

Unlimited updates:

• First year: Free
• Two years: $11.95
• Five years: $29.95
• 10 years: $39.95
• 25 years: $79.95
• Life: $129.95

U.S. LegalWills offers three different and affordable estate planning bundle packages. You can also choose a “build your own” option and add the documents you need, instead of paying for documents you don’t need. This makes U.S. LegalWills one of the most customizable will-making services we reviewed.

U.S. LegalWills also has advanced information storage available with  My Life Locker , which stores personal information, and  Digital Vault , which contains documents you want to upload for future use by your executor. These two storage options are only available with the highest tier package.

U.S. LegalWills has 4.6 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 400 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers highlighted how easy the process was and how quickly they were able to complete the forms.

Some customers complained the forms weren’t upheld in a court of law. To each of those reviews, a customer service representative defended U.S. LegalWills and gave citations to the law supporting the forms.

Despite the website platform appearing outdated, the questionnaire process was simple. The “try now for free” option at the bottom of the package prices was misleading. This is not the same as the free trial Rocket Lawyer offers. You’ll move through the will-creation process, but at the end, only a preview of the first page of your will is available to you. To see the rest, you’ll need to purchase the product. It took about 10 minutes to connect with a representative by phone, and an email response took around 10 hours.

• Phone:  888-660-9455 available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday
• Email:  [email protected]

What to look for in the best online will makers

Estate planning is a customizable experience, so flexibility is important. Most platforms offer some variation of the features below, whether in a bundle or as add-on services.

The most important document in the estate planning process is a last will and testament , often referred to as a “will.” This document specifies who will be responsible for distributing your estate and can give detailed instructions about which beneficiaries are entitled to certain items or sums of money. Many wills also include guardianship details if the will writer has minor children or pets.

When you create an online will, you’ll answer a series of personal and financial questions that will help create your final document. Each one of the services we’ve selected has state-specific forms created by estate planning experts. After finishing the questionnaire, you can download the completed documents, print them out, and execute them according to the instructions provided by your online will service.

Additional estate planning documents

Creating a simple will is important at any stage in your life, but you should consider additional documents as well. The most common estate documents, in addition to a will, are a power of attorney and a living will (also called a health care directive). Most online services offer these legal documents as an add-on feature, but some offer a package deal for all three. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to invest in a service that offers a bundle. Read our guide to learn how to make a will without a lawyer .

Unlimited updates

Celeste Robertson , Esq., a member of the Texas Bar Foundation and practicing attorney since 1994, advised “you should review your will and other estate planning documents every three to five years” and always “revisit these documents whenever significant life changes occur.” Robertson gave the following examples of significant life changes:

• Birth of a child [or grandchild]
• A substantial change in assets.

That means it’s important to note whether you can make changes to your documents in the platform you choose. Many services offer free, unlimited changes for at least the first 30 days after purchase. Others offer free changes for up to a year or without limits. With services that offer a membership, you’ll generally be able to make unlimited updates to your estate documents so long as you pay the monthly or annual subscription.

Document storage

While you should always have an original paper copy of all your important documents, it’s a great idea to have virtually accessible backup copies. Most of our top choices have a virtual storage space for your will and any other documents you completed using the service. Some even allow you to upload additional important documents, such as:

• Identification cards
• Real estate deeds
• Account numbers
• Life insurance policy
• Tax documents

When choosing a virtual storage base, security is a top concern. Each of the services on this list that offers document storage has one or two layers of encryption (converting information into a code to prevent unauthorized access) to protect sensitive information from anyone who doesn’t have authorization to access your account. Quicken WillMaker & Trust and Trust & Will both took an extra step by undergoing Type 2 Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2 Type 2) auditing ⓘ SOC 2 Type 2 is an exam used to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of a service organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. , which provides an independent, third-party assessment of a service organization’s security during a period of time.

Family plan

Some online services offer a second will for a discounted price. This is ideal if your spouse or close family member is also interested in creating a will. Even if spouses or partners own property and assets together, it’s common for them to create reciprocal wills. These are two separate wills, each making the other the beneficiary of the entire estate. For services that offer a family plan, you can often get the second will at a discounted price, and you can easily add it on at checkout.

Helpful hint: If this feature is essential for you, Quicken WillMaker & Trust allows you to make an unlimited number of wills with a single purchase of one of its products. In other words, you can get estate documents for the whole family for the cost of one package.

Attorney assistance

While most people creating a will online can do so without additional assistance, you might be interested in seeking general legal advice or having a lawyer look over your will, especially if you have a complex estate plan. Some services offer specialized legal assistance throughout the creation process—usually at a higher cost. If you anticipate needing an estate planning attorney to look over your documents at any point during the process, you should consider choosing a service that offers this as an add-on feature.

Helpful hint: If this feature is essential for you, you might consider the premium package from LegalZoom. You’ll have on-demand, unlimited 30-minute calls with an attorney to ask whatever estate questions you have for 1 year after purchase. Other services cost more than $200 per year for this level of access or limit your questions to “new legal matters” only.

Satisfaction guarantee

Many services are backed by a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. Some guarantees may come with limitations or will only apply refunds to certain services.

How we reviewed online will-making services

The Reviews Team curated a scoring system for online will-making services that considers the value for money, ease of use, customer support, features, and customer satisfaction. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Value for money (35% of total score): We rated the value of every online will maker’s basic package. We also considered whether the service offered free or unlimited will revisions and a money-back satisfaction guarantee.
• Ease of use (25% of total score): We looked at whether we could navigate the website successfully and where the roadblocks, if any, came up. Did we have trouble adding features or signing into our account? We compared our experiences before and after account setup.
• Customer support (20% of total score): We reviewed each company’s customer service offerings through email, phone, and chat, and gave a score based on timeliness and accuracy of responses.
• Features (15% of total score): We looked at the essential estate planning features and add-on services the company offers and whether the packages are customizable.
• Customer satisfaction (5% of total score): We looked at customer ratings across trusted third-party review sites, like Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot, and rated our own satisfaction with the process.

Bottom line

After hundreds of hours researching, our Reviews Team found the above online will maker companies to be the top five in the market. We found Legal Zoom is our best overall because of its combination of excellent legal support, step-by-step process, and affordable prices.

We liked Trust & Will for its excellent customer support and user-friendly creation process, and if you’re looking for high-quality documents and affordable ongoing support, Quicken WillMaker & Trust would be your best option. If you want to have an attorney review your will and answer questions along the way, LegalZoom is our top pick for legal assistance. With its free will option, Rocket Lawyer is best for those on a budget. If making unlimited lifetime updates is high on your priority list, U.S. LegalWills is a great option.

For more resources about planning for the future:

• Read our guidance on managing someone else’s legal, financial, and medical decisions
• Be informed about estate recovery , how it works, and how it can affect you or a loved one

Frequently asked questions

Yes, it’s completely legitimate to use an online service to create your will. As long as you execute the document in accordance with your state’s laws, your online will is legally binding.

Among those reviewed services, Trust & Will was our number one “Editor’s Pick.” Next, we chose LegalZoom, Quicken WillMaker & Trust, followed by Rocket Lawyer, and U.S. LegalWills.

The main pros of online wills are they’re more affordable than hiring an estate attorney, they can be created from home, and they’re easier than writing a will from scratch.

The main cons of online wills are that an attorney review is not available with all services, they might not be the best option for those with a complicated estate, and unlimited updates not available with all services (requiring re-purchase to make updates).

The price to create a simple online will range from $0–$89. Some packages offering several documents, in addition to a will, can cost up to $299.

While an online will is designed to be legally binding if you provide accurate information and follow your state’s laws, its validity could be contested if someone has reason to believe it wasn’t written properly.

In some circumstances, such as complex financial situations, complicated family structures, or undecided wishes, it’s best to consult an attorney.

Have questions about this review? Email us at [email protected] .

• Gallup.com. How Many Americans Have a Will? June 23, 2021. Found on the Internet at https://news.gallup.com/poll/351500/how-many-americans-have-will.aspx

• Unite Legal Services’ free will* service is available to all members once they have been a member of the union for 13 weeks
• The service enables you to have a simple will prepared free of charge by a legal professional
• Using a high street solicitor to make a will can prove to be expensive
• Our experts will guide you through the will writing process, explaining the stages clearly to you

Contact your local Unite office for more information. 

If you are a Unite member in Scotland, click here to find out more about the legal support available to you and to find details of your local office.

It is easy to assume that your property and possessions will automatically pass to your loved ones when you die, but sadly this is not always the case. Writing a will is the only way to guarantee that your estate is administered and divided in accordance with your wishes – so it’s important you take the time now to make a will. Making a will with a high street solicitor can be an expensive exercise, but Unite members can have a simple will drawn up for free* by one of Unite Legal Services’ panel of expert solicitors.

What happens if I die without making a will?

If a person dies without making a will they are ‘intestate’. This means the estate becomes subject to a strict set of inheritance laws, which quite simply do not take the deceased’s wishes into account. For example, the Rules of Intestacy make no provision for unmarried and unregistered partners. This means that on Intestacy, the surviving partner will not automatically inherit any of the property and possessions owned in the sole name of the deceased. Similarly, the rules only recognise natural and adopted children, and so do not acknowledge step-children. As you can imagine, this situation can lead to complications for your loved ones when they come to sorting your affairs. By choosing Unite the Union’s free will writing service, members can avoid such complications.

Making a will with Unite Legal Services

The Unite the Union free will* service is available to all members once they have been a member of the union for 13 weeks. Contact your local Unite office for more information. 

*If your affairs are complex a small charge may be made for the service. However, the overall cost will be significantly lower than using a high street solicitor.

Read the latest news relating to: Wills

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How To Write A Will Without A Lawyer

Updated: Jul 25, 2024, 7:22am

Table of Contents

Four ways to write a will, how to write your own will, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Writing a will can be uncomfortable, requiring you to reflect closely and clinically upon your own mortality and the value of your possessions after you’re gone. Once it’s complete, though, a will is one of the most important documents you will ever create. Wills ensure your last wishes are respected in your absence. But how do you write a will? While the obvious—and most expensive—option is to visit an attorney, there are other options available. Here’s what you need to know.

There are several options to write a will. We’ll take a close look at each so you can decide what works best for you:

Use an Online Paid Service

Similar to companies that provide LLC or registered agent services, there’s no shortage of online will service providers on the market. Online paid services usually advertise as Estate or Trust Planning. Writing a will is typically only one of myriad services provided by companies like these, which may mean these outfits present a good choice for those looking to create powers of attorney, trusts, or other estate planning documents.We advise only using a company like this if its work will be well-reviewed by professional attorneys to ensure documents will pass legal muster. Be sure to read customer reviews before making a commitment. Depending on the company and services desired, fees can range from a flat fee to a monthly subscription to entirely free use of online templates. Any extra perks offered—like outside legal support, mailing of documents or the easy ability to make future changes—can vary greatly between companies. Some may also require you to download additional software in order to write your will.

Trust & Will

Create your estate plan

Trust & Will offers customized, state-specific estate plans with clear and affordable pricing

Create a Will

Starting at $199

Payment plan available

Create a Trust

Starting at $499

Use an In-Person Paid Service (Lawyer or Attorney)

Hiring a lawyer or attorney to write your will is the traditional route most people follow, and for good reason: having a professional closely assist in your process can offer a level of reassurance you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. In-person services are expensive and time-consuming compared to other options. Depending on where you live, finding a professional you trust can be difficult. It is, however, a good idea to consult a lawyer if you have a large estate, complexities such as property in multiple states, or questions about Medicaid planning or trusts.

Purchase a DIY Template or Kit

You can order a DIY Will Kit over the internet, and even find them on the shelf in some brick-and-mortar stores. These kits come with all the guides, templates and examples you need to write and legally validate your own will. You can find kits matching your country of citizenship to simplify the process regardless of location.

The prices of kits are comparable to or cheaper than using an online paid service, but these kits typically offer only generic wills (e.g., simple wills ), so if you know your estate planning is complex or you have plentiful assets, you should consider a paid service to offer you direct support.

Write Your Own

Writing a will might sound daunting, but if you have a straightforward estate, it’s surprisingly easy. You should have some familiarity with legal language before attempting to write a will. If you use a DIY kit or template, much of this will have already been done for you. If you choose to write it entirely yourself, brush up on any legal requirements of your state and country before you do anything else. Each state and country may have different laws surrounding wills and estates and your document more than likely must meet these standards before it is considered valid.

Handwritten wills are known as “ holographic wills .” Holographic wills are not accepted in every state and can easily be ruled invalid by the court. Because of this, we do not recommend handwriting the final draft of your own will.

With some careful planning and preparation, it’s entirely possible to write your own will. Below is a list of the essential information you will need to include in your will.

(Please note that this list assumes you have a simple and straightforward estate and consequently want to write a simple will. If you have a complex or large estate involving many moving parts, this guide may not be useful to you. Consider instead the benefits of hiring an estate attorney.)

Essential Information

• Write a title. It’s easy to overlook such a simple detail, but it needs to be clear to anyone who picks up this document that it’s your last will and testament . Make sure you include your full legal name somewhere near the beginning of your will. If you have made previous versions of your will, be sure to also mention that your most current document invalidates any previous ones. Include any other names you’ve used.
• Name the executor of your will. This is the person responsible for making sure your estate is distributed and settled according to your will. Choose someone you trust. You may also want to choose a back-up executor to be safe.
• Name a guardian for any minors. If you have children or are the guardian of any minors, name a guardian. This person takes full legal and physical custody of your children after your death. Guardianship typically passes automatically to any surviving parent as long as the parent can be deemed competent.
• Organize and inventory assets. Assets are any possessions clearly belonging to you or that are titled in your name. Personal belongings, pets, property and cash are all considered your assets. Take the time to clearly describe each asset such that when the executor is transferring the asset to its named beneficiary there is no question about its identity. Be sure to check with your state about which assets you cannot include. Trusts or investment accounts, for example, are often not considered part of your simple assets and pass directly to the beneficiaries you have named on those accounts..
• Name the beneficiaries. For each asset, name a beneficiary—the person, profit or non-profit organization or other entity to receive your asset(s) once you pass. You can choose one or many. If there is anyone who should not receive the asset in question, be sure to name them as well.
• Write your residuary clause. A residuary clause covers everything not left to a specific beneficiary and either not adequately described or anything forgotten when you wrote the assets section of the will. You can choose to leave these “remainders” to a beneficiary or leave it to your executor to handle. Don’t overlook the importance of this clause; it’s unlikely you’ll remember everything you own, especially if this is your first pass at a will. Having a residuary clause is a decent enough fail-safe to let you sleep at night.
• Sign your will with witnesses. Check with your state requirements before signing, as different states have varying requirements regarding the number and identity of witnesses. Some states may also require you have your will notarized. No will is legally valid until it has been signed before witnesses.
• Store your will someplace safe and update it when necessary. Let somebody—usually your executor—know where to find the most recent copy of your will. Be sure to revisit and update it whenever you experience a big life change: moving (especially because your will may not meet the laws in your new state or country), a large purchase or property investment, a marriage, divorce or death and even your children reaching adult age are all occasions to review your will.

It may also be a good idea to set aside a regular time, perhaps every other year or so, where you review your will even if no big changes have happened in your life. You may be surprised at what assets you consider important enough to describe two years in the future. Likewise, your opinions on beneficiaries and desires regarding asset division may change. At the least, it is a good way to continue thinking about the future.

Forbes Advisor Small Business Managing Editor Rob Watts and contributor Chauncey Crail contributed to this article.

Can I write a will by myself?

Yes, you can write your will by yourself. Make sure you fully understand the language and legal validity requirements of your state or locale. Refer specific questions to an estate attorney. As long as you follow these guidelines, you can easily write your will from scratch or with the help of a DIY kit or template.

Can I write a will for free?

Yes. It is possible to write your will for free. You can choose to write your will from scratch or you can find a free, reputable online service to help you. Some DIY will kits and templates may also be free and available online for no-cost download.

What are the differences between a will and a living trust?

A will is the final division of your assets to whomever you designate after you have passed away. Although these usually have everything specified in them, there are sometimes legal issues, such as contests of the will by family members, that can drag the process through the probate court system and it may be several months or years before your assets are finally distributed,

A living trust makes it possible for you to transfer property and assets to your chosen beneficiaries without going through the probate process, saving your loved ones money and time. This also keeps your estate out of the public record. If your will is probated, it becomes part of the public record.

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Jane Haskins practiced law for 20 years, representing small businesses in startup, dissolution, business transactions and litigation. She has written hundreds of articles on legal, intellectual property and tax issues affecting small businesses.

Protect your family Write a will from home

• Legally valid and built based on state-specific laws
• Flat $99, Enjoy 50% off for spouse will
• Online support, 9am-6pm everyday

Introduction from our CEO

Priya Surya quickly shows how Goodwill can work for you.

Why Goodwill?

Verified will documents.

Ironclad, legally enforceable documents based on state-specific laws.

Privacy and Convenience

Modern estate planning from comfort and safety of home through a secure interface.

Global Coverage

Made in the US, to cover assets locally and abroad, for common law countries.

Update Anytime

Adding a new home, or changing your distribution? Just log in, take a minute to make the change, and print your new will.

Help from Live Experts

Speak with real humans online, via video or over the phone. Talk to us

How does it compare?

Traditional estate planning.

Lots of questions and paperwork

Find, visit, and pay for a lawyer

3-6 weeks for a will

Bait and switch pricing

Using Goodwill

Create a legally valid will at home, live help from will writing experts, flat, affordable pricing, update your will, anytime, doing nothing.

What are the consequences?

Who looks after your family?

Where are all your accounts?

How will the bills get paid?

Our partners:

Interested in offering wills to your affiliate audience, customers, or employees? Chat to us online.

Create your will in minutes, store online and update anytime

Answer a few easy questions.

Easily decide what is right for you and your family, with all the options you would have if you used a lawyer.

Review & sign

We pack everything you need into a handy, easy to understand document that you just need to sign.

Store forever, update anytime

Lifetime account with every will. Access your will at anytime and update it as life circumstances change.

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Serving DBS customers since 2020

I was dreading doing this and spending lots of money on a lawyer, but their price is affordable!

David Williams, Father of 2

So easy and fast, there’s no reason to wait or put if off. One big item off the to-do list!

Sara Thompson, New Zealand native, Singapore resident

Built by lawyers

Our will writing tool has been created based on statutes such as the Wills Act, the Probate and Administration Act, and US case law.

Your will is designed around your state's laws and your specific cirumstances.

Based on US law, your will is:

Fully legal after proper signing

No need to notarise your will

No need to register your will

Your will is built around you, with expert support when you need it

Guardians for children.

Ensure your children’s wellbeing by naming someone you trust. If they live abroad, name a temporary guardian as well.

Gift anything to anyone

Anything you own can be gifted to any individual you want. Got that record collection that you want to go to that special person, not a problem. You can also choose to leave vehicles, collections of items and even simple money gifts.

Your estate split how you want

Your will, your way. Ultimate flexibility around who gets your assets and possessions.

Naming an executor

Guidance on how to choose the right person to distribute your assets. Read about Choosing an executor

Organise all your assets

Give your executor all the information about your finances and properties in one place, attached to your will.

Personal Messages to loved ones

Leave personal messages to make your gifts even more meaningful.

Commonly asked questions

What happens when someone passes away in the us.

If they have a will , their appointed executor locates the will, applies to the courts for a ‘Grant of Probate’, approaches financial institutions to close accounts, distributes assets from the accounts according to the will.

If they don’t have a will , someone step up to represent the deceased in the middle of your family’s grief. Others who qualify must give their written consent.

They must create a Schedule of Assets, and apply to the court for ‘Letter of Administration’, and once granted, approach financial institutions, and then distribute assets according to the state’s own formula. You and your family have no say.

Do I need a will?

Main reasons

• Ensures your assets are not lost/go unclaimed by your family
• Secure guardianship for any minor children, and ensure they are financially and emotionally cared for by someone you trust
• Appoints a person you trust and have informed to execute your estate
• Prevents confusion regarding your wishes
• Give to charitable causes you care about

It is particularly important if:

• you have children under 21
• you have no clear heirs, and there’s a high likelihood your assets could go to the state
• you are in a domestic partnership

When do I not need a will?

If you have assets less than $50,000, then your estate need not go through the probate process. In this case, it may not be necessary to set out your assets in a will. If your wishes exactly match the law of intestacy, and you don’t have any minor children, and don’t care about who executes your estate,

What do I put in my will?

Seems like you’ll have to pull your hair out with sorting out bank statements and insurance policies, while the lawyer runs an expensive hourly bill.

At Goodwill, we want to remove all the stress and make it easy to create a will in minutes, and keep it updated throughout your life.

Step 1: About you

When you write your will, you’ll be asked some basic information that goes into your will such as your full name, address, marital status, children, pets

Step 2: Guardians for children

If you have children under 21 or pets, you’ll be able to appoint guardians here

Step 3: Distributing your wealth

You’ll have a chance to indicate who gets what percentage of your overall wealth between your family, friends, and social causes you care about.

We’ll ask for:

• Your primary beneficiaries (for example, your spouse or partner)
• Your secondary beneficiaries (children, parents, friends, others) if your primary beneficiaries pass away before you do.

Step 4: Choosing executors

Choosing someone you trust who is capable of navigating the legal and financial process if something happens to you is one of the most important parts of writing a will.

You can appoint a family, friend, or a professional in this section in minutes.

Optional step: Gifts

You may wish to give sums of money to the caretaker of your pet, or a beloved possession to your favourite niece or nephew. Here’s where you specify who gets what, along with a personal message to them.

You can leave:

• A specified sum of money
• An specific possession such as an heirloom ring, or automobile
• A collection of items

You can leave these items to anyone you wish, because US laws allow for full testamentary freedom.

If you leave a gift or percentage of estate to a child under 21, it will be held by the guardian for safekeeping until they reach adulthood.

Optional step: Assets

This is a helpful list of your assets so your executor and family can locate them easily. You can add just the name of the institutions where you have accounts, or more information such as account number and current balance. This is not required or legally binding.

How do I make my will legally valid?

Goodwill ensures your will is written in accordance with the laws in the US.

But until your will is printed and signed properly (with two witnesses), it’s just a piece of paper.

After you create a will on Goodwill, you’ll be able to download your will. Check your Downloads folder for the file.

Print and bind you will

Three staples down the left side will do nicely

Choose two people to witness your signing

They must be over 21 and they cannot be a beneficiary in your will or their spouse. They must also be identified clearly in the will.

The Signing

Together, you and your witnesses all watching, sign the will.

According to the Wills Act in the US, your will is now legally valid.

Store your will

Store in a safe place at home, or somewhere accessible to your executor. Inform him/her of its location.

According to the Wills Act in the US, your will is fully legal:

Do I need to submit my will to the authorities?

• after it is signed properly with two neutral witnesses
• no need to notarise your will
• no need to register your will

After signing, store in a safe place that your executor can access, and inform them.

Can I register my will?

It is not required but if you wish, you can register your will with the US Will Registry . The service only notes that you have a will, and does not store original or copies of your actual will.

How do I update my will?

Goodwill provides unlimited lifetime access. Simply login using your user name and password (or social login), make necessary changes, and re-download your will.

The remainder of your information is securely stored and accessible at any time

Why is Goodwill so much more affordable than going to a lawyer?

Our mission at Goodwill is to create an affordable and accessible will writing service that anyone can use. Using technology allows us to create efficiencies in how we serve our customers.

Goodwill offers live expert customer support 7 days a week, and unlimited lifetime access for only $99.

Who is behind Goodwill?

Goodwill was started by estate planning experts Priya Surya and Jonathan Summers-Muir, with support from Entrepreneur First, and SG Innovate, an effort to create a digital ecosystem in the US.

Priya is a Fulbright scholar and graduate of Harvard University where she obtained her MPA/ID in 2010. She previously worked with World Bank in Washington DC to bring technology to financial inclusion, and was head of New Market Growth in Asia for Bima Mobile, a company that makes insurance accessible to millions of emerging market consumers. Her interest in legal and financial planning stems from her own experience as a mother and daughter was the impetus behind starting Goodwill.

Jonathan is a web developer and graphic designer. He has led teams across a diverse range of data sensitive products from professional football software, door access security and data analytic aggregation software. He has a keen interest in making the complicated processes of estate planning into a straight forward simple process. He was born in the UK, and now calls the US home.

Can I have a will expert double check my will?

Yes, your will includes full post-sales support every day of the week. Click on the chat icon at the bottom of the screen to speak to us over chat or easily schedule a call.

After receiving your will, we advise you read it from top to bottom, and speak with us about any questions.

We can also refer a lawyer for thorny legal issues specific to your situation.

Should my spouse and I have a separate will or joint will?

Joint wills.

Joint wills are highly inflexible. Both partners must agree to make any changes. If one person passes away, it’s difficult for the other person to make changes.

Individual wills

With Individual wills, both partners create an account with their own email address and password.

Individual wills are as easy as mirror wills, and have the benefits without the draw backs.

The advantages are the following:

• Flexible - you can make your will exactly like your partner’s or completely different, or anywhere in between. It is up to you.
• Affordable - it’s even more pocket-friendly with our partner discount
• Update anytime. No back and forth, just login, make your changes, and print your new ill.
• Support from expert will writing team with any questions you may have

Get started here

Why would I want to update my will?

If you bought a new home, added a new family member, gotten married or divorced, if your pet passed away or if you have started investing in a new robo advisory investment account, you should update your will to reflect these changes.

Often our children may be more or less independent as they grow older, and one might need more help than another.

Change is the only constant. Don’t let an outdated will disturb your peace of mind.

Still not sure? Explore our learning centre

Learn about will writing and probate

• 5 min read How to choose the right executor for your will?
• 6 min read The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Will
• 1 min read How do I get started with writing a will?

Update anytime

All your documents can be accsesed at anytime, and can be updated whenever you like. No more future lawyer fees.

30-day money back guarantee

If you are dissatisfied in any way with your will, you can contact us within 30 days and we’ll refund you, no strings attached.

We’re here to help anytime

Our expert will writing team of real humans are ready to talk to you 7 days a week

Make a will online

Free Wills For All Teachers

We are offering a   FREE*   Basic Will to all teachers and a 50% discount for partners.

Get in touch to claim yours!

We started The Will Guys to offer a fresh way of delivering Wills to customers; without all the fuss and cliches associated with ‘old school’ Will Writers.

[email protected]

0333 012 4308

no fuss, plain English Wills, written by experts

Will writing. 30+ years of experience..

We started The Will Guys to offer a fresh way of delivering Wills to customers; without all the fuss and cliches associated with ‘old school’ Will Writers (so we’ve heard).

With over 30 years combined experience in the financial and legal sector we really know what we’re talking about and always strive to offer a full and comprehensive service to each and every client.

We believe that Will writing doesn’t have to be the way it has been in the past. We strive to offer tailor made Wills, in plain English, written by experts but at a market leading low price.

As a small family run business, we understand each others strengths and how to support each other in what we do and where Will writing is concerned we think we’ve cracked it!

We are pleased to be able to offer a free WILL writing service for all Teachers.

Darren Williams

Director and Founder

Teachers – free will

How it works.

To claim your FREE Will, submit your information using the form below. Simply fill in the form and a member of our team will be in touch.

What you’ll receive:

• A Will written for you
• No nonsense advice
• Expert advice from our friendly Will writers

Why DO I NEED A WILL?

Not having a Will causes all sorts of problems for your family and people left behind. It could mean that some or all of your inheritance either goes to the wrong person or to the state.

Making a Will enables you to plan exactly what will happen to your property and belongings (estate) following your demise. This ensures that those you would like to benefit actually do so, in accordance with your wishes. At the same time avoiding any possible disputes between family or relatives.

WHAT TYPE OF WILL DO I NEED?

Unfortunately, there is not a one size fits all Will solution, everyone’s situation is unique to them and your Will should be written to reflect this. 

We can provide help with Wills, Trusts, Long Term Care Planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning

What ARE THE COSTS?

*We are pleased to be able to offer a FREE Will writing service for all Teachers. There is a small charge to cover postage costs of £13 for a Single Will and £18 for a Mirror Will.

Further estate planning may be recommended, this would be optional and would be charged at an additional cost.

“The Will Guys are an extremely professional and fast service. The adviser was very helpful and understanding with this sensitive matter. Would highly recommend.”

“Great service. Dealt with my parents Wills in a friendly yet professional way. Explained everything so we could all understand it. Would recommend 100%.”

Get In touch

If you have any questions, get in touch & one of our expert advisers will be in touch..

Email Address

Write or update your will

At Maggie’s we offer people living with cancer the care and support that is so needed alongside medical treatment. 

We’ve partnered with a number of expert Will writing professionals who can help support you in writing or updating a simple Will for free.

Irwin Mitchell

Irwin Mitchell are one of the UK’s leading will writing firms and as a Maggie’s partner, they offer a free Will writing service to our visitors and supporters. 

The service can be provided by post, online, over the telephone or face to face if there is a local Irwin Mitchell office near you. 

The National Free Wills Network

The National Free Wills Network champions local law firms to write simple wills for free for our supporters. 

They offer our visitors and supporters the opportunity to either write a new simple will, amend a current one and/or add a gift in their will to Maggie’s.

If you would like to write or update your simple will for free using this service, request your Free Wills Network pack  and they will send your pack straight to your home.

Local partners

Many of our centres have local will writing solicitor partners. 

Get in touch with your local Maggie’s centre to find out if they offer will-writing and for help booking an appointment.

Related pages

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Steve on finding connection and positivity

Steve came to Maggie's feeling lost but left with friendship, understanding and guidance.

Khorshed on getting more from Maggie's than she expected

Khorshed struggled with anxiety after a complication during surgery. Psychological support from Maggie's gave her confidence back.

Davy on becoming a carer, grief and the importance of talking

Davy describes the support he found at Maggie's over the years while caring for his wife Lorna, and how it continued after she died

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Unlock the power of the written word

NoRedInk simplifies the process of building strong writers and critical thinkers.

Why NoRedInk?

Personalized, high-interest content.

Engage and delight students with exercises that feature interests they’ve selected themselves, including their favorite celebrities, characters, and historical figures.

Scalable differentiation

Meet students where they are with adaptive exercises and scaffolded writing activities that deliver differentiated support when students get stuck at various points of the writing cycle.

Comprehensive writing curriculum

Develop well-rounded writers by pairing interactive skill-building exercises with lightweight writing prompts and scaffolded essays that build writing fluency.

Straightforward standards alignment

Create aligned assignments that increase student achievement by browsing skills exercises, writing activities, and diagnostics by state and national standards.

Make skill-building engaging

Practice exercises help students target and master key writing and grammar skills. These hands-on exercises use a variety of question types to guide students from the sentence level to the paragraph level to the passage level. Students get to drag and drop punctuation, restructure sentences, highlight claims, evidence, and reasoning, and more. Because Practice is adaptive, students see hints, lessons, and extra questions when they’re struggling and see more challenging questions when they get things right.

Boost writing stamina and fluency

Quick Writes provide a lightweight way to get students writing frequently. NoRedInk’s collection of Quick Writes features skill-building prompts, text-based prompts, novel analysis prompts, and prompts that get students writing about everything from fun hypothetical scenarios to their fondest personal memories. Quick Writes help teachers achieve a range of objectives, including developing specific writing skills, building writing fluency and stamina, and assessing understanding of course content.

Scaffold the writing process

Guided Drafts provide scaffolding to students throughout the writing cycle, freeing up teachers to deliver individualized support where it’s needed most. As students work on their essays, they’re reminded of important concepts and have access to genre-specific lessons, tutorials, and exemplars that help them grow as writers. NoRedInk’s Guided Draft prompts span more than 10 genres, from Narrative and Expository to Persuasive and Literary Analysis.

Teachers use NoRedInk to . . .

Elevate student voice.

NoRedInk activities engage students and provide them with the guidance they need to confidently express themselves in writing.

Support language learners

NoRedInk’s flexible features equip teachers to help English language learners master English grammar and become strong writers.

Ace state test prep

NoRedInk helps teachers increase student achievement by targeting skills that align with rigorous state standards and assessments.

Build a community of writers

Self Review and Peer Review activities emphasize the importance of revision in the writing cycle. During Self Review, students answer a series of questions on the substantive content of their essays, then make revisions based on their self-assessments with the support of exemplars and tips. Mastery-based Peer Review guides students through providing meaningful, actionable feedback on each other’s work.

Gather actionable data

NoRedInk gives educators access to formative and summative assessment tools that help them identify student strengths and areas for improvement and track skills growth. Planning Diagnostics and Unit Diagnostics help teachers gauge student skills at the start of a new semester or unit and decide where to focus their instruction. After a cycle of instruction, practice, and feedback, Growth Quizzes offer detailed insight into how students have progressed.

NoRedInk now has ELA resources for Grades 3–5

Designed specifically for young learners, our new adaptive skills exercises, engaging writing activities, and standards-aligned diagnostics enable elementary teachers to:

Create more moments of genuine learning

Help students develop strong writing habits

Gather data-driven insights into student growth

Take student achievement to the next level with NoRedInk Premium

Premium gives schools full access to NoRedInk’s writing curriculum and guided composition tools.

A wider variety of content

Exercises for 1,000+ skills, 100s of texts, prompts, and lessons, and guided practice for 10+ writing genres.

Deeper reporting insights

Standards- and assessment-based progress reports at the teacher, school, and district level.

Comprehensive support

Flexible professional development and seamless integrations with tools like Canvas, Clever, and Schoology.

NoRedInk is used in 60% of US school districts

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Parents need to partner with teachers, not see them as service providers: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE – Parents who escalate school issues unnecessarily and overstep boundaries with teachers are a minority, but they waste time and divert resources away from the wider school community, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

They write to the media, the prime minister, even the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau; one turned up at his Meet-the-People session, others have sent lawyer’s letters to air their grievances. Some parents will do all this to get their way, said the minister on Sept 20.

He stressed that the majority of parents are supportive of teachers and educators. But he said that the “small number” of parents who go overboard has a “disproportionate effect because they deprive the other parents of the time that the educators would want to spend with the kids”.

Mr Chan was on The Usual Place, a podcast by The Straits Times, to talk about why he recently highlighted the need to establish guidelines on how parents communicate with teachers. Also weighing in on the issue and bringing his perspective as a father of two was Straits Times editor Jaime Ho.

Bypassing the school’s leadership, and instead getting a minister to bring pressure on the school, is something that Mr Chan said he “cannot tolerate”.

“I trust my principals, I trust my teachers. I always tell them that I’m not going to respond to this, because the more I respond to this, the more emboldened that individual will be to bypass (the system),” he said.

“Everybody will feel that – in order to get my way, I will have to do all this. The system will eventually break down, and (then) everyone loses. So for that very small number of parents, what they are doing is most unfair to the other parents and children.”

At the Ministry of Education (MOE) Schools Work Plan Seminar on Sept 18, Mr Chan said that teachers are not required to share their personal phone numbers , and do not need to respond to work-related messages after school hours.

Official channels such as e-mail and office numbers should be used when contacting parents, and teachers should respond to work-related messages after school hours only in the event of emergencies, he said.

Teachers are not ‘service providers’

Parents should see themselves as partners with their child’s teachers, said Mr Chan, rather than assume a transactional relationship with expectations and demands, as they would with a service provider.

Beyond creating entitled children or parents, he said such a mindset would have serious implications for the teaching profession.

“Who will want to be a teacher?” asked Mr Chan.

He pointed out that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has done studies among its members on the quality of education, and found that it was not pay, infrastructure or class size that matters most.

The most important thing was the quality of the teachers, said Mr Chan.

“If you can’t get quality teachers, your entire education system will collapse – no matter how good the policies are.”

Mr Ho asked if there has been a tipping point where the minister felt that the demands on teachers now have affected recruitment.

Mr Chan said that Singapore has not reached that stage yet, but he was worried by examples in other countries, where teachers have been driven to suicide or have resigned because they do not want to deal with the pressures of the job.

However, while it may not be a “big problem” here, Mr Chan said he wanted to make sure the situation does not grow “because this kind of thing is quite insidious”.

“Once it’s seeped into our societal culture, then we are gone. What I always jealously guard is this sense of respect, to honour our teachers because they take care of our children.”

Why do parents behave this way?

Mr Chan said that perhaps now parents have a “natural tendency” to want to do more for their children, whereas in the past, parents “generally trust the teachers more”.

He added: “Today, I think a lot of people feel that, ‘Well, I’m also highly educated, then I should have a view on certain things.’”

However, if parents keep bailing their children out of situations, such as asking for a spelling list on their behalf or to review their PSLE scores, children will not be encouraged to be responsible or learn life skills.

He said: “That’s why at MOE, we believe that we don’t have to overly protect, overly structure, overly provide for our kids, and try to remove all uncertainty and untidiness (in life).

“Sometimes in trying to solve every problem for them, we actually deprive them of that learning opportunity.”

He called on parents to nurture disciplined, self-reliant children in the long term.

Mr Chan said: “Sometimes as parents, we just look at the short-term performance outcome without understanding that we might inevitably breed a ‘crutch mentality’ in our kids to think that whenever something happens, somebody must be responsible for what is happening.” 

Best gift for teachers: Respect and trust

Teachers need the space and time to focus on helping their students realise their potential, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. This is the ethos that society needs to continue to help teachers with, said Mr Chan.

He shared how, growing up, he would be warned by his mother not to have his teacher call her, or he would be in trouble. If every parent calls the teacher about their child, they would not be doing their best for the children, said Mr Chan.

“Then they will get burned out quite soon. So I think we support our teachers by respecting them, and giving them the trust, time and space to do the best things they can for our kids.”

Mr Ho asked Mr Chan about how his personal experience with his teachers growing up had shaped the way he thinks about the education service now.

The minister said that a common theme in his school years was his teachers giving him the chance to gain confidence.

A surprise mathematics test in secondary school had Mr Chan and his peers struggling, but the teacher wanted to make the point that every student had the knowledge to take the test without mugging for it. Later, she nominated Mr Chan to participate in the Mathematical Olympiad. “Suddenly, it gives you confidence that there’s something in you. It tells me that teachers are constantly looking for opportunities to affirm the kids for what they can do, rather than what they cannot.”

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Host: Natasha Zachariah ( [email protected] )

Filmed by: ST Video

Edited by producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh, Jamie Koh and Rubeen Raj

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

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NEW! The Three Billy Goats Gruff- Talk for Writing- Year 2- FULL PLANNING AND RESOURCES

Subject: English

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

22 September 2024

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Save yourself time! Here is everything you need to teach a full English Unit!

This unit is focused on SETTINGS and follows the Talk for Writing approach.

Full planning and resources for The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The unit is aimed at Year 2 but could be adapted to meet other year groups.

Planning and activities are EDITABLE for the needs of your learners.

Resources include:

• Planning that is easy to follow and saves you time!
• Fully comprehensive Power Point that aligns with the planning document
• Innovated Text Map
• Boxing Up Grid Plus lesson activities- all fully editable!

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