Since 2017, Trust & Will has offered online services to help individuals with estate planning. With its simple and affordable online estate planning packages, seniors can take care of their end-of-life personal and financial affairs effortlessly. Trust & Will is a great option for older adults who can't afford an attorney or who want an uncomplicated, at-home option for creating estate planning documents like wills or trusts. All you have to do is answer some questions, and Trust & Will can build the documents for you.
After using their services, I found that the company makes the estate planning process straightforward for seniors. While their customer support could use some improvement, their services provide seniors with affordable and accessible end-of-life planning. Keep in mind that if you have a large number of assets or a complicated family situation, it may be more challenging to use.
So here's my take on trying out Trust & Will's estate planning services, including: how much they cost, who they're best for, how to create your estate planning documents, and how the company measures up to the competition.
Trust & Will homepage
What We Like About Trust & Will
Makes estate planning easy and simple
All documents are reviewed by Trust & Will's estate planning team
Documents can be downloaded or shipped
More affordable than hiring an estate planning lawyer
Unlimited updates to documents for the first year
30-day guarantee on refunds for estate plans
Things to Keep in Mind About Trust & Will
Less suited for complex financial and family situations
Estate plans don't leave room for detailed instructions
About Trust & Will
Trust & Will is a company that helps you create and manage your estate plan online. They offer affordable estate plans, which you can complete in 20 minutes or less.
When you choose a plan, you'll answer some simple questions to help customize it for your needs. You can instantly download your documents or have them shipped to your home to sign them once you're done. Their services are meant to be simple, affordable, and inclusive.
Trust & Will Products
The company offers two types of estate plans: trust- and will-based estate plans. I found choosing the right Trust & Will plan to be effortless: They have a “Get Started” quiz to match individuals to the appropriate plan.
Trust & Will products
FYI: Estate planning is just one piece of the financial puzzle for seniors. Visit our senior finance guide to learn what else you should be doing before and during retirement.
In the quiz, you can select the categories that fit your situation and immediately get a recommendation for a plan. While the idea of choosing a plan can feel intimidating, having help deciding on the right plan is a huge plus.
Trust & Will quiz
Trust-Based Estate Plan
The trust-based estate plan allows you to pass your assets with specific instructions to loved ones and manage your affairs upon your passing. It covers arrangements such as who will handle your affairs, how your assets are passed on, and what happens in a medical emergency.
This plan also lets you avoid probate court, which is a legal procedure where a court manages how your assets are distributed once you pass. The plan will help provide more ease for your loved ones when you pass on your assets.
With this plan, you can create five documents:
Revocable living trust: Decides how your assets are handled and distributed while you are living and upon your passing.
Schedule of assets: A list of assets to be held in your trust. You can continue to update this list after setting up the trust.
Last will and testament: Specifies your wishes for final arrangements.
HIPAA authorization: Keeps your personal health information from being revealed to unauthorized parties.
Living will: Contains your wishes for medical treatment in the event you are unable to make those decisions for yourself.
FYI: Establishing a trust gives you more control over how, when, and what conditions your assets are passed on to your loved ones. Visit our guide to trusts to learn more!
The trust-based plan is best for individuals who own more than one property and have more than $160,000 in assets. Plus, the revocable living trust gives you more control over how your assets can reach your beneficiaries.
Will-Based Estate Plan
The will-based estate plan is nearly identical to the trust-based estate plan, except it excludes the documents that establish a trust.
With this plan, you can create three documents:
Last will and testament
HIPAA authorization
Living will
Quick Tip: Are you new to wills and estate planning? Visit our guide to wills to learn more about this important estate planning document.
This plan is best for individuals who own one property and have less than $160,000 in assets. It's a great way to cover all the bases when putting together your will to ensure that your final wishes are carried out.
Trust & Will Pricing
Service
Pricing
Benefits
Trust-Based Estate Plan
$599 for individuals
$699 for couples
Decide who handles your affairs
Determine how your assets are distributed
Specify final arrangements
Note any special requests
Decide what should happen in a medical emergency
Grant trusted individuals access to your medical records
Add conditions to asset distributions
Avoid probate court
Will-Based Estate Plan
$159 for individuals
$259 for couples
Decide who handles your affairs
Determine how your assets are distributed
Specify final arrangements
Note any special requests
Decide what should happen in a medical emergency
Grant trusted individuals access to your medical records
Unlimited Update Service
Free for the first year,
$39 per year after
Make edits to documents
Share documents with others
Stay up to date on tax law considerations
Attorney Support
Add-on option for $200
Unlimited phone access to an attorney in your state for 12 months
Detailed and specific advice about how to fund your trust
Estate planning considerations for couples or blended families
Line-by-line document review from an attorney
Senior Saving Tip: Want to save on your estate plan? Trust & Will has a cheat sheet of promo codes you can use to get a discount, so check to see if you're eligible.
Customer Support
For all plans, Trust & Will offers unlimited customer service. Its customer support team is available seven days a week to answer any questions. You can reach them by calling the number provided, or by clicking the chat icon on the bottom left-hand corner of the website to message a customer representative.
I called their customer service number multiple times but wasn't able to get a representative on the line. However, I found it helpful to message a representative through Trust & Will's customer service chat. Ashley, the representative who helped me, was friendly and attentive. She answered all my questions thoroughly and could even switch my plan if needed. If you're a technology-savvy senior, it'll be easier to get the help you need through their customer service chatbox.
Did You Know: Wealthier people are more likely to have their end-of-life affairs in order. Read the 2021 Estate Planning Report to get expert insights on how Americans approach estate planning.
If you need help from an attorney, the company also offers attorney support as an add-on with all of its estate plans. This gives you access to a licensed estate planning attorney to answer any questions that come up as you complete your documents. The service offers unlimited phone access to an attorney for a year and helps you get advice tailored to your estate.
How to Create Trust & Will Documents
Trust & Will makes it easy to create the documents for your estate plan, especially since their site is helpful and user-friendly. In my experience, creating documents for an estate plan was really quick and straightforward. As long as you have your information on hand, you can complete your documents fairly quickly. Here's how to get started:
Click on the “Products” tab at the top of the home page.
Select your chosen estate plan.
Answer the questions provided to create your plan.
Review your documents to make sure everything is correct.
Print the documents or ship them to your home.
Sign the documents to make them legally binding.
Did You Know: Almost half of seniors ages 55+ still don't have a will. Get an introduction to wills and other tools for end-of-life affairs with our guide to estate planning.
Once you complete your documents, you can keep making changes as needed by accessing your Trust & Will account. Another perk: shipping documents straight to your door is free. You'll be able to update your documents as part of your plan for up to a year, so no sweat if you make a mistake the first time around.
Getting started with the basics
Comparing Trust & Will to the Competition
Let's take a look at how Trust & Will compares to other companies in the industry.
LegalZoom
While Trust & Will and LegalZoom offer similar services for estate planning, the trust estate plan through LegalZoom is significantly cheaper. However, Trust & Will covers more bases in terms of documents. LegalZoom doesn't offer HIPAA authorization, which addresses what happens in the event of a medical emergency.
Also, Trust & Will offers help from an attorney for a fee after you've completed your documents. LegalZoom gives you that same option while you complete your documents. In cases where your affairs are complex, LegalZoom has a leg up in the customer support department.
Overall, it's a close call. Trust & Will offers a simpler user experience, which makes it much more senior-friendly. While the services are nearly the same, Trust & Will takes the cake this time.
Rocket Lawyer
Trust & Will offers a comprehensive estate plan, while Rocket Lawyer offers a membership subscription for $39.99 per month. With the subscription, you can create a trust or will and have the guidance of an attorney as you complete your documents.
The main difference is that Rocket Lawyer is suited for those who want detailed advice. Trust & Will is better for those whose assets and affairs are much simpler. I'd recommend Rocket Lawyer if you have lots of real estate and assets, or have a complicated situation that requires more detailed instruction.
In this case, choosing between Trust & Will and Rocket Lawyer is a matter of preference. I'd still recommend Trust & Will for its simple user experience, as Rocket Lawyer can be a little difficult to navigate.
Final Thoughts on Trust & Will
Bottom line: Trust & Will makes the estate planning process easy and senior-friendly. They cover all the bases if you have basic needs for estate planning and make it effortless to complete the whole process. You spend less time completing documents, and the company does a great job of explaining the benefits of each service it offers.
The only catch is that customer service representatives are hard to reach by phone. However, if you're comfortable messaging their representatives through the customer service chatbox, you'll receive excellent service.
Above all, its site is user-friendly: many estate planning sites can be hard to use, but Trust & Will keeps it simple and uncomplicated. Older adults can get their affairs in order and rest easy knowing that their loved ones are taken care of. Visit Trust & Will's website for more information and to get started on your estate plan.
