FreeWill vs LegalZoom Estate Planning

FreeWill provides web-based tools for making wills and other estate-planning documents. Its questionnaire takes about 20 minutes, and its documents can be used in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Users can make unlimited free edits and re-finalize updated versions. Tools include wills, revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, financial powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and supplemental needs trusts. Users can include charitable gifts in their plans, and FreeWill partners with more than 2,400 nonprofits and businesses. Its nonprofit platform offers staff gift visibility, verified donor contact information, campaign analytics, and alerts for new commitments. Giving support includes donor-advised funds, stock and securities gifts, qualified charitable distributions, and cryptocurrency. FreeWill's plan costs $0.00 per free and requires no credit card; it includes a last will and testament, a California revocable living trust, an advance healthcare directive, and a financial power of attorney. FreeWill says it encrypts data at rest and in transit and does not sell users' personal data. The company cautions that online estate planning may not suit complex needs and encourages those users to seek legal counsel.

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.