Everplans vs LegalZoom Estate Planning

Everplans helps people organize, store, and securely share important information, documents, and personal decisions. Its planning system guides users through bite-size tasks, and the free plan includes algorithm-led guidance, a content library, and storage for up to three items. Premium costs $99.99 a year and adds unlimited items, premium content, specialized checklists, and secure sharing with trusted people called Deputies. Everplans says it sends reminders and alerts about important dates. The service is available on the web and iOS. The iOS app supports Face ID or Touch ID, contact imports, document uploads, and scanning key information from IDs. Premium users can import basic financial account details through Plaid, but balances are not imported and some institutions or accounts are unsupported. Everplans describes encryption for stored data and communications, says it is HIPAA compliant, and has undergone a SOC 2 Type II examination. It also offers a web-based professional service for financial advisors and states that it is not a licensed healthcare provider, medical professional, law firm, or financial advisory firm.

LegalZoom Estate Planning creates online estate documents from answers to a questionnaire. Every estate plan includes either a last will or living trust, plus a financial power of attorney, healthcare directive, and HIPAA authorization. A will can name asset recipients and guardians for minor children. Trust plans add documents such as a pour-over will, certificate of trust, schedule of assets, and bill of transfer; LegalZoom says a living trust can help a family avoid probate court. Customers view documents in their LegalZoom account, review them alone or with a lawyer on a call, then print and sign. Premium Will and Premium Trust include attorney document review and unlimited 30-minute attorney calls for one year. LegalZoom says its last wills have been accepted in all 50 states. The service is web-based, paid, and has no free plan. Basic Will costs $99, paid once; Premium Will $249, paid once; Basic Trust $399, paid once; Premium Trust $549, paid once.