Do Your Own Will Online Will Service Review

Best Free Option

Do Your Own Will offers everything needed for basic estate planning, including guidance and templates that cover the creation of a living will, last will and testament, and guardianship assignments. Although seniors who have complicated estate planning needs may not need this online will service, most who just require the standard documents and planning can appreciate the wealth of information offered to get them started.

The best part of Do Your Own Will is that everything is offered at no charge, making it one of the best options for those who need a comprehensive, budget-friendly option. Not only does the site cover most of what is needed for free, it offers links to additional free forms that can save users money on other legal matters.

Overview of Do Your Own Will

Do Your Own Will is a free online will service that offers most of the guidance and documents seniors need to start their estate planning. The site hosts information needed to create a legally valid will, along with links to other free legal forms like power of attorney. Do Your Own Will is not affiliated with a law firm, so a licensed attorney will need to answer any questions not addressed on the site.

How Much Does a Do Your Own Will Online Will Service Cost?

Using an online will service can cost upwards of $300, but one of the feature benefits of Do Your Own Will is that the service is provided at no cost. There are no hidden fees or additional paid services to consider. The website was created to offer people the opportunity to draft a will at no charge and maintains itself entirely on the revenue generated by ads at the bottom of each page. There’s no shopping cart anywhere on the site.

Full Review of Do Your Own Will’s Features

Do Your Own Will serves anyone who wants to establish wishes for their estate, outline their advanced directives in healthcare or learn more about the process of estate planning and execution. Features offered through this online will service can help seniors create legally enforceable documents that protect their assets and their healthcare wishes in the event they become incapacitated or pass on.

Information Library

Being well-informed is the first step to smooth estate planning. Do Your Own Will offers the information that most need to start the process. Topics that can help seniors better understand estate planning include:

• Whether a will is needed
• When it’s appropriate to draft your own will
• How to use the website
• What is required in your will
• What to consider when naming guardians for minor children
• An overview of the probate process
• Guidance on how to choose an executor

A blog covers more specialized information, including details on topics such as including life insurance in estate planning, how to update a will, donating your body to science, and revoking power of attorney.

Estate Planning Guide

When seniors are ready to start the planning process, Do Your Own Will’s estate planning guide includes everything in one place. The guide begins with the documents that are essential for the protection of medical wishes and distribution plans. It includes several other forms and checklists to address anything not covered in the will, such as providing for pets, pre-planning the funeral, assigning a digital agent, managing important contacts, and creating a general power of attorney. At the end of the guide is a section meant for organizing documents and information on completing all the necessary forms.

Relevant File Organization

The Organize Your Digital & Paper Files section of Do Your Own Will’s estate planning guide is extremely comprehensive. In this section of the website, seniors can select the types of files and documents relevant to their situation and generate worksheets to keep everything organized before they begin their planning. Available worksheets include:

• Banks and brokerages
• Credit cards
• Email accounts
• Websites, apps, and social media accounts
• Home utilities and services
• Vehicles
• Debts and liabilities

New forms are scheduled to be added soon, including some for the following:

• Electronic devices
• Insurance policies
• Investment accounts
• Advisors and important contacts

These worksheets help you draft an estate plan and manage necessary updates to make adjustments as necessary. All the forms are customizable with icons representing suggestions to help get users started.

Funeral Planning Worksheets

The worksheets available for funeral planning are comprehensive and helpful to those who wish to establish any funeral preferences or anyone who needs help making funeral arrangements. The 20 worksheets cover all the important detail, including:

• Favorite flowers
• Notification list
• Details on prepaid services
• Named pallbearers
• Wardrobe preferences
• Body presentation
• Preferred speakers and officiants
• Favorite music, readings and prayers
• Vigil details
• Memorial details
• Burial location
• Casket preferences
• Obituary draft

These worksheets allow users to highlight any wishes for their own final farewell or serve as an organization tool for planners who want to ensure everything is covered.

Guided Templates

Guided templates are the main event of the Do Your Own Will website. When creating legal documents, such as a last will and testament, a living will, or a power of attorney, users can follow a guided questionnaire that covers everything needed to make documents legally enforceable. Once seniors finish the questions, they can generate the completed document, downloading it in either Word or PDF format for storing digitally or printing.

Each essential guided template offers a View Brief Summary link on the first page that shows screenshots of each step from the template. The images identify which steps are required and which are optional.

Additional forms that are not deemed essential are also available as guided templates. Although these forms do not offer step screenshots, they provide a preview of the actual document.

Who Should Consider Do Your Own Will’s Online Will Services?

Budget-conscious planners

Do Your Own Will offers the forms and information needed to create a legally enforceable will online, all at no charge. 

Seniors Who Need Limited Planning Assistance

Although all the information offered on Do Your Own Will is legally sound, the website is not run by an actual law firm and nothing on it should be taken as legal advice. The will generator uses templates that may not cover every situation. Seniors who find themselves in a more complex estate planning situation or those who require a more personalized approach may require assistance from a licensed attorney, potentially negating the money-saving benefit that brings people to the website in the first place.

What Are People Saying About Do Your Own Will Online Will Services?

Internet reviews of Do Your Own Will are generally positive. Reviewers highlight the level of information offered and rave about the fact that the service is completely free.

A few drawbacks that prevent the website from getting five stars across the board, however. One complaint refers to the lack of assistance if a user runs into trouble, which may happen if the future estate is complex. Since the website uses a templated approach, it really only works for basic will generation. The last will and testament generator may not be state-specific, so it’s up to the user to check their state laws to ensure the will they create is in compliance and legally enforceable.

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