Key Takeaways

• We recommend LegalZoom as an affordable option if you want to create estate planning documents with the help of an attorney.
• LegalZoom has will and trust based estate planning bundles that include attorney assistance for $249–$649.
• All estate planning packages also include a healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization and printing & shipping of one set of documents.

While it can seem intimidating, estate planning is important to help loved ones navigate your wishes after you die. You don’t need to spend several hours or thousands of dollars to create accurate estate planning documents that will stand the test of time. For a relatively low price, there are several online will-making services that generate customized documents.

We chose LegalZoom as our pick for “Best Legal Assistance” in our Reviews Team’s roundup of the best online will-making services, based on the brand’s affordable estate plans that include attorney guidance. Most other will-making services either don’t offer attorney assistance, or platforms charge upward of $200 for one-time consultations. LegalZoom has 1 year of unlimited 30 minute attorney consultations included in their Premium Will package.

While our Reviews Team recommends LegalZoom for those who need affordable legal assistance, after thoroughly mystery shopping the platform and using it to generate a simple will, financial power of attorney, living will, and trust, we don’t recommend the platform if you just want to create a simple will on your own.

Read our complete LegalZoom review to see all the pros and cons of using this online estate planning service.

Why you can trust our expert review

Our Reviews Team includes credentialed attorneys who spent more than 200 hours researching and using the online will-making services we reviewed, so we can help you decide which is best for you. Out of eight total services we researched, we chose LegalZoom as our “Best for Legal Assistance.” We came to this conclusion based on:

• Our personal experience as a user creating a will on the platform
• Our practical knowledge of estate law
• Conversations with the attorneys who consulted on the will-writing software
• Analysis of customer reviews on trusted third-party platforms

LegalZoom pros and cons

Table 1 Comparison of LegalZoom vs. competitors

*Feature is an additional fee
**Create a will for free during the seven-day trial period.

LegalZoom estate planning documents

With estate planning, there are two main documents people use: a last will and a living trust. Both have advantages and disadvantages, depending on factors such as:

• Your estate planning budget
• The size of your estate
• The complexity of your distribution wishes (how many beneficiaries you have and the types of items you’re dividing)

LegalZoom offers packages and individual services for both documents. You can change your estate planning package within 60 days of your purchase if you decide a different plan would better suit your needs.

LegalZoom wills

A last will and testament, or simply a will, is a legal document outlining your wishes for the distribution of your property and assets after you die. With a will, you typically assign an executor, who is responsible for carrying out the wishes and instructions outlined in the will.

Table 2 LegalZoom side-by-side comparison of will packages

	Basic Will	Premium Will
Price	$99	$99
Last will	Yes	Yes
Free unlimited update period	30 days	30 days
Attorney assistance	No	2 weeks included (cancel before 2-week trial ends, or pay $25 per month to retain membership)
Financial power of attorney	Yes	Add for $35
Living will/Healthcare directive	Yes	Yes
Living trust	No	No
Two-person bundle	Yes, with couple bundle	Yes, with couple bundle

How it works

First, you’ll need to choose if you need a bundle for an individual or a couple, toggling the button to your choice. Then, you’ll select one of LegalZoom’s four available packages: a Basic Will, Premium Will, Basic Trust, or Premium. No matter what you choose, you’ll be prompted to indicate which state you live in. From here, you’ll be directed to check.  you’ll need to decide which documents you want to purchase and whether a bundled package (last will plus other estate planning documents and legal assist plan) is best for your needs. If you choose to start the basic last will or comprehensive last will process, you’ll be sent directly to the step-by-step questionnaire.

After choosing a product (and checking out if you select a bundle package), you’ll need to create a LegalZoom account. Next, you’ll answer questions about yourself (name, address, and marriage information) and your finances (account totals, retirement account information, and asset values).

For most questions, it’s up to you how much detail you want to include. For example, you can give your executor full control over the distribution of your property, or you can itemize your assets and designate specific items for individual beneficiaries. In some circumstances, you may also choose to list exact checking or saving account numbers in your will. For example, if you don’t have beneficiaries listed on your checking account, it would be easier for your executor to locate and distribute the money in that account if account numbers were provided in the will. Documents created and stored on the LegalZoom platform are secured with high-level encryption ⓘEncrypting information turns it into a digital code that adds an extra layer of protection., so your personal information and financial details can’t be accessed without your permission.

Throughout the guided questionnaire, LegalZoom provides additional information about the process, defining less familiar terms and linking to sample documents and informational pages you can use as a reference when answering questions.

It took our Reviews Team about 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire from start to finish. We had a few documents on hand before starting, which we found helpful when filling in financial information. If you want to purchase the product but aren’t ready to complete the questionnaire, you can always go right to checkout and finish the questions later. Just click the button that says “Buy now finish questions later.”

LegalZoom living trusts

A living trust is a legal arrangement that allows you to transfer ownership of your assets to a trust for various financial purposes, including estate planning. You’ll assign a trustee ⓘThe trustee is the person responsible for managing the assets in the trust. to be responsible for the trust on behalf of the beneficiaries ⓘA beneficiary is someone entitled to receive money, property, or other assets from a trust or will.. The assets will be distributed after death or at any other time you choose.

Table 3 LegalZoom side-by-side comparison of living trust packages

	Basic trust	Premium trust
Price	$399	$549
Pour-over will	Yes	Yes
Free unlimited update period	30 days	1 year
Attorney assistance	No	Unlimited 30-min calls with an attorney for 1 year on new legal matters
Financial power of attorney	Yes	Yes
Living will/Healthcare directive	Yes	Yes
Living trust	Yes	Yes
Two-person bundle*	Yes	Yes

How it works

Like the LegalZoom will-maker service, if you select the basic or premium trust packages, you’ll be prompted to choose which state you live in and select the individual or couples package before checkout.

If you choose the two-person package, you’ll get two of every document except the living trust. A LegalZoom living trust can hold property from more than one person, so regardless of the product or bundled package you choose, you only need one trust ⓘA trust can be used for estate planning or to set aside money for other purposes, like founding a charity..

After choosing a product (and checking out if you selected a bundled package), you’ll start the questionnaire. The trust questionnaire also includes educational content to clarify terms and give information. If you need live assistance at any time, the LegalZoom customer support phone number is at the top of the page, and a chat feature is at the bottom of the page.

Our experience: Based on our Reviews Team’s experience, we recommend calling in to get help with the questionnaire instead of using the chat feature. We found the phone representatives were easier to talk to and genuinely want to help answer questions or solve issues. Most of the answers we got from the chat representatives were scripted, so when we asked for additional details or examples they told us to call for further help.

The questionnaire for a trust is almost the same as the one for a will, but you’ll need to include some additional details. For example, you’ll need the title or deed information for any real estate or cars you want to put in the trust, whereas on a will, it would be acceptable to just say, “My car at the time of my death should be given to Sally Smith.”

After completing the questionnaire, you can name your trust if it’s for a specific purpose, or you can stick with the default, which is: “The [your name] Living Trust.” The last step is to check out (if you haven’t already) and submit your form to LegalZoom. From there, a LegalZoom attorney will review the trust document.

Helpful hint: A representative told our Reviews Team that LegalZoom lawyers always review living trust documents for errors, even if you didn’t purchase the legal assist plan. This is because living trusts are more complex and involve the transfer of property during your lifetime. The living trust document processing time is about two business days. The other estate planning documents (will, living will, and POA) are automatically generated based on the questionnaire and are not reviewed unless you upgrade to a package with legal assist.

Within one or two business days, you’ll be able to print and notarize ⓘNotarizing a document makes it legally binding. You can often find a notary at your local bank or post office. your living trust document.

The LegalZoom trust service only generates the trust document, which is the contract that creates the trust. If you plan to transfer the assets named in the trust to an account (also called a trust fund account), you’ll need to set that up separately with your bank. If you intend to put real estate or other property (like cars, money, or jewelry) in the account, you’ll also need to transfer the title or deeds according to your state’s laws.

You can use LegalZoom to transfer your title or deed and file the appropriate documents on your behalf for an additional cost. The price varies based on what state the property is in and how many properties you need to transfer. For example, LegalZoom charges $279 to transfer the deed of a property in Virginia.

LegalZoom legal assist plan

LegalZoom offers attorney assistance for a broad range of legal matters, and includes their attorney assist services with both Premium Will and Premium Trust bundles. This service includes unlimited 30-minute calls with an attorney about new legal matters. It expires after one year, and then can be continued as a subscription service for an additional fee. The cost varies depending on your payment terms:

• 12-month Plan: $16.59 per month, billed annually at $199.
• 6-month Plan: $19.84 per month, billed every 6 months at $119.

With this membership, there are recurring fees on a monthly or yearly basis if you don’t cancel. You’ll need to cancel the membership before the next billing period to avoid unintended charges. For example, when you subscribe to the 6-month attorney assist plan, you get six months of unlimited, 30-minute calls with an attorney concerning new legal matters. When you upgrade to the comprehensive tier for any document, you get a two-week legal assist membership. If you don’t cancel after six months, you’ll be charged for the next six months of membership.

Helpful hint: When you sign up for the attorney assist plan, you agree to the terms in the Legal Plan contract. LegalZoom will not offer a refund if you forget to cancel your membership before the next billing cycle.

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 speak with a lawyer for longer than 30 minutes or ask another question about the same topic, 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 the firm’s billable hourly cost. If you’re a LegalZoom member, you’ll get 25% off the firm’s standard hourly rate for representation.

If you choose a two-person bundle package, you’ll only have one legal assist plan membership that both people must share.

What you need to create a LegalZoom will

Before sitting down to create your estate planning documents, you should gather a few pieces of information:

• Primary bank account information (checking and savings)
• Retirement and other investment account information
• Life insurance policy numbers
• Proof of ownership of assets (car title or deed to your home)
• Full name(s) and contact information of the executor(s) of your estate
• Full names and contact information for all individuals you plan to name in your will

Creating individual documents with LegalZoom

LegalZoom offers individual documents that can be purchased separately without a bundle. These documents include:

• Financial power of attorney: $39
• Advanced healthcare directive: $39
• Residential lease: $29
• Prenup: $1,499

Both the last will and testament and the living trust cannot be purchased separately, they are only available within the bundled products.

All the documents that LegalZoom offers, except the living trust, can be purchased separately, added on, or included in an estate planning bundle. Many of these individual products are available at basic and premium levels, but this is where there was a lack of clarity during the testing process. Specifically, it appears that LegalZoom is in the process of updating its website. Many of their product pages are complete and clearly written, but some of the individual product pages appear to maintain old information and align with previous branding aesthetics, leading us to believe they have not been updated.

Table 4 Comparison of LegalZoom basic products

	Basic will	Basic healthcare directive	Basic financial power of attorney	Basic trust
Price	$99	$39	$39	$399
Last will	Yes	No	No	Yes*
Free unlimited update period	30 days	30 days	30 days	30 days
Attorney assistance	No	No	No	No
Financial power of attorney	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Living will	No	Yes	No	No

Table 5 Comparison of LegalZoom premium products

Our Reviews Team chose LegalZoom as our pick for “Best Legal Assistance” because of the comprehensive tier. Attorneys charge anywhere from $250–$310 per hour for estate planning services. You can complete your document with an attorney in the LegalZoom network for an additional fee.

	Premium will	Premium healthcare directive	Premium financial power of attorney	Premium trust
Price	$249	$49	$49	$549
Last Will	Yes	No	No	Yes*
Free unlimited update period	1 year	30 days	30 days	1 year
Attorney assistance	Unlimited 30-min calls with an attorney for 1 year on new legal matters**	2 weeks included**	2 weeks included**	Unlimited 30-min calls with an attorney for 1 year on new legal matters**
Financial power of attorney	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Living will/Healthcare directive	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Financial power of attorney

A financial power of attorney (POA) is a legally binding document (not an individual) that allows you to appoint someone to manage your financial affairs for you and make decisions on your behalf. Unlike a will that only goes into effect after you die, a POA can go into effect immediately, or after a specified event (for example, if you experience a sudden medical event, like a coma).

A POA is included with the basic will, premium will, basic trust, and premium trust bundles. You can also purchase a financial power of attorney as a stand alone product with LegalZoom for $39. You can upgrade to the premium financial power of attorney, which includes attorney review of your documents, attorney advice for your family, and unlimited 30-minute phone calls with an attorney on new legal manners for weeks after your purchase.

Table 6 Side-by-side comparison of POA packages

	Basic POA	Comprehensive POA
Price	$39	$49
Revisions	30 days	30 days
Attorney assistance	No	2 weeks included (cancel before the 2-week trial ends or pay $25/month to retain membership)

Healthcare power of attorney

The basic will, premium will, basic trust, and premium trust bundles from LegalZoom all include a healthcare directive. A healthcare directive from LegalZoom contains a living will and healthcare power of attorney. A living will allows you to express your health wishes and medical preferences to provide guidance if you become incapacitated, which means you’re unable to care for or make decisions for yourself. A health care POA is a document that allows you to elect an agent to represent your health interests and make decisions on your behalf.

LegalZoom also lists the healthcare directive as a separate product on the product page. You can purchase a healthcare directive, which includes a living will and healthcare power of attorney, for $39. If you upgrade to the premium healthcare directive package (which is $10 more), you’ll be able to complete the questionnaire with an attorney or have them review the final document over the phone using the two-week legal assist plan membership. After consulting with the attorney, just cancel the plan to avoid the $25 monthly fee. If you purchase either of the estate planning bundles (living trust or last will) this document is included in the package. You won’t see the option to add a living will to your last will or living trust until the checkout page.

Table 7 Side-by-side comparison of healthcare directive products

	Basic healthcare directive	Premium healthcare directives
Price	$39	$49
Revisions	30 days	30 days
Attorney assistance	No	2 weeks included (cancel before the 2-week trial ends or pay $25/month to retain membership)

Can you update your LegalZoom will?

Our Reviews Team asked Matt Odgers, Esq., an experienced estate planning attorney in Carlsbad, California, how frequently estate planning documents should be updated. “As a general rule, it’s a good idea to review your will and other estate planning documents every three to five years. However, you should also revisit your estate plan after any significant life event,” he said. He also added that “regularly reviewing and updating your documents ensures they continue to reflect your wishes and current circumstances.”

According to Odgers, you should consider updating your will if one of the following life changes has occurred:

• Marriage or divorce
• Birth or adoption of a child (or grandchild)
• Death of a spouse or other major beneficiary
• Significant changes in your financial situation

LegalZoom’s free unlimited update period varies depending on which product package you purchased. You can make unlimited updates to any document purchased under the basic or premium plan for 30 days after purchasing. The unlimited update period for any document in the last will or living trust estate plan bundle is one year after purchase.

When you create your estate planning documents on LegalZoom, the answers and selections you made on the questionnaire are saved on a form that is stored in your account. You’ll just make updates as needed, save them, reprint the updated documents, and execute ⓘExecuting a document is to make it legally binding. This is usually done by signing and notarizing the document. them again according to the laws in your state.

If the free revision period has expired and you want to make changes or updates to your estate document, you’ll need to pay an additional cost each time you modify the form. Since your information will always be saved in your account, you won’t need to start from scratch. Just make the necessary updates, pay the associated fee, and resubmit the form to LegalZoom. From there, your updated document will be generated and ready for printing and signing.

LegalZoom charges $19.95–$39.95 each time you need to make changes to any document, which could end up costing a significant amount of money. For example, if you purchased the basic or premium will bundle and need to make a change to every document after the free update period has expired, you’ll need to pay $69.85 total. This is compared to U.S. LegalWills, for example, which offers a 10-year unlimited update membership for only $39.95.

Table 8 Cost to revise each type of document after free revision period expires

	Cost to revise after the revision period has expired
Last will	$29.95-$39.95
Healthcare directive	$29.95-$39.95
Power of attorney	$19.95
Living trust	$39.95

To get this information, a Reviews Team member called LegalZoom. For now, this information is only available if you call or if you try to make changes to a document and are prompted to pay the resubmission fee. The representative told us LegalZoom is working on a way to make this information available on the website.

LegalZoom customer service

LegalZoom has a U.S.-based customer support center that is available by chat, phone, online form submission, and email.

• Phone: 888-379-0854, Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT
• Email: support@legalzoom.com
• Online form: Use the “ask a question” link on the right to submit a query

When we called, we were connected with a customer service representative within 30 seconds. They were friendly and asked several clarifying questions to ensure we were connected with the right department for our inquiry. They also took us through a verification process (getting our name and email address). Any question or concern is recorded on your account in case follow-up is needed. Even if you haven’t created an account yet, you can provide your email address, and the support specialist will send you a written version of their answer to your question so you can refer to it in the future.

Our Reviews Team appreciated this customer service practice because we didn’t have to write down all of the information as the representative spoke. We knew we would receive the exact information via email.

The chat feature usually takes about a minute to connect you with a representative. The chat representatives were not as helpful as the phone representatives in our Reviews Team’s experience. More than once we were abruptly disconnected from the chat representative, or they had a hard time understanding our questions. We were often asked to call instead.

LegalZoom satisfaction guarantee

If you’re unhappy with the LegalZoom service, you can call or email within 60 days of your purchase to get a refund. LegalZoom will not refund third-party or filing fees paid to the government. For example, if you’re dissatisfied with the limited 30-minute legal consultation included in the legal assist plan membership, you can get a refund, but if you continue a relationship with that attorney and pay additional fees to that attorney, LegalZoom can’t refund you the additional money.

LegalZoom also can’t guarantee a specific legal outcome when you use its products or services, but the company will provide a refund in situations where it provided a guarantee. For example, LegalZoom doesn’t guarantee you’ll win your court case if you consult with an attorney using the legal assist plan. But LegalZoom does guarantee that the documents it generates are accurate and consistent with your state’s laws. For more information on the LegalZoom satisfaction guarantee, you can read through the fine print.

LegalZoom reviews

Since the LegalZoom platform offers several different legal services, the customer reviews and overall ratings on third-party sites are not always specific to the estate planning service. Our Reviews Team sifted through reviews to learn more about the experiences other users have had with customer support and the online will or trust options.

On Better Business Bureau (BBB), LegalZoom is rated 4.63 out of 5 stars by more than 6,600 customers. Our Reviews Team noticed that every reviewer since Feb. 6, 2023, has left a one- or two-star review citing poor customer service and unexplained, unauthorized charges from LegalZoom. Many also complained about difficulty navigating the purchase process and how easy it was to accidentally sign up for products or services you didn’t intend to purchase. But reviews before the February timeframe are overwhelmingly positive, praising customer support representatives and the easy-to-understand purchase process. A Reviews Team member reached out to LegalZoom to better understand why reviewers after Feb. 6 have been so negative, as well as to find out whether LegalZoom has tried to reconcile with those customers. We will update this story as we receive a response.

On Trustpilot, LegalZoom is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars based on more than 2,700 reviews. Most positive reviewers mention how much money they saved by using LegalZoom over a traditional attorney’s office. Negative reviewers emphasized that estate planning with LegalZoom is great for users creating a will with a simple beneficiary list but isn’t the best for those with more complex wishes.

Bottom line

The documents LegalZoom generates are legally binding and adhere to state laws. We selected it as our pick for “Best Legal Assistance” because you can upgrade to a two-week legal assist plan for only $10 when creating a will, which is a flexible option at an affordable price compared to competitors.

Frequently asked questions

Are online wills a good idea?

Online wills are an affordable option for those looking to create an accurate and legally binding will. Each of the top online will-makers we chose generates documents that are legally accurate under the laws of each state.

What is the best site to create a will?

Our Reviews Team looked into eight of the top online will-makers and chose five as the industry leaders. Of the five, we found that Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust was the best service to create a will.

Will a LegalZoom will hold up in court?

If you choose the correct state for your will and answer the information accurately, the will generated by LegalZoom is a legally binding document. That said, LegalZoom doesn’t guarantee specific legal outcomes when you use its products or services.

Are LegalZoom documents legal?

Yes, all documents generated by LegalZoom are formulated according to state law and, once signed and notarized, are legally binding.

Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.

Sources

1. Hourly Rates for Trust and Estate Attorneys Across the Country. Martindale-Nolo Research. Dec. 18, 2021. Found on the internet at https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/trusts-estates/cost-of-creating-an-estate-plan-and-administering-an-estate/how-much-does-an-estate-planning-attorney-cost.html