Trust & Will Review
Trust & Will offers simple and affordable will- and trust-based estate-planning solutions, along with attorney support in some states.
SeniorLiving.org is supported by commissions from providers listed on our site. Read our Editorial Guidelines
Since 2017, Trust & Will has offered online services to help individuals with estate planning. With their 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. It’s also good for those who want an uncomplicated, at-home option for creating estate-planning documents such as wills or trusts. All you have to do is answer some questions, and Trust & Will can build the documents for you.
I spent over 50 hours researching Trust & Will’s services and trying them for myself. I evaluated the company for important factors such as cost, value, ease of use, services offered, and customer service. After using their services, I found that the company makes the estate-planning process straightforward for seniors. Their services provide seniors with affordable and accessible end-of-life planning, but they could improve their customer service. If you have a large number of assets or a complicated family situation, it may be more challenging to use.
Here’s my take on 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
Pros 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
- Documents are automatically secured with bank-level encryption
- More affordable than hiring an estate-planning lawyer
- Payment plans available for will- and trust-based estate plans and probate tools
- Free shipping of your documents (or you can download them)
- Unlimited updates to documents for the first year
- 30-day guarantee on refunds for estate plans
Cons About Trust & Will
- Less suited for complex financial and family situations
- Estate plans don’t leave room for detailed instructions
- Limited attorney access
- Annual membership fee after the first year
About Trust & Will
Trust & Will 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.
Did You Know? The top three reasons for not completing an estate plan are uncertainty about how to create one, lack of time, and not knowing which documents are needed
Trust & Will Products
The company offers two types of estate plans: trust-based and will-based estate plans. Choosing the right Will & Trust plan was 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, I selected the categories that fit my situation and immediately got a recommendation for a plan. Choosing a plan can feel intimidating, but 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.
The plan also lets you avoid probate court, which is a legal procedure in which a court manages how your assets are distributed once you pass. The plan will be easier for your loved ones when you pass on your assets.
With this plan, you can create seven documents:
- A revocable living trust decides how your assets are handled and distributed while you are living and upon your passing.
- A schedule of assets is a list of assets to be held in your trust. You can continue to update the list after setting up the trust.
- A last will and testament specifies your wishes for final arrangements.
- A HIPAA authorization keeps your personal health information from being revealed to unauthorized parties.
- A living will contains your wishes for medical treatment in the event you are unable to make the decisions for yourself.
- Power of attorney designates a person to handle your personal and business responsibilities if you are away or incapacitated.
- A certification of trust is a document that can be given to third parties in place of a trust. It has a summary of key provisions from the trust, but it excludes personal details.
A 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 four documents:
- Last will and testament
- HIPAA authorization
- Living will
- Power of attorney
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* | $499 for individuals
$599 for couples |
|
| Will-based estate plan* | $199 for individuals
$299 for couples |
|
| Unlimited update service | Free for the first year,
$39 per year after for trusts, $19 per year after for wills |
|
| Attorney support | Add-on option for $299 |
|
*Price does not include notarization
Customer Support
For all plans, Trust & Will offers unlimited customer service. Their customer-support team is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT to answer any questions. You can reach them by calling the number provided or clicking the chat icon in the bottom-left corner of the website to message a customer representative. Their AI-powered chatbot can also answer many of your questions.
I called the customer-service number multiple times, but I couldn’t get a representative on the line. I found it helpful, however, 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 chat.
Did You Know? Wealthier people are more likely to have their end-of-life affairs in order. Read our estate-planning report for 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 their estate plans. It gives you access to a licensed estate-planning attorney to answer any questions you have as you complete your documents. The service offers unlimited phone access to an attorney for a year. It also helps you get advice tailored to your estate. Attorney support is available only in certain states though. It is not available in:
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Wyoming
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 quick and straightforward. As long as you have your information on hand, you can complete your documents fairly quickly. Here’s how I got 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 (the first time is free).
- Sign the documents to make them legally binding.
Once I completed my documents, I could keep making changes by accessing my Trust & Will account. Another perk: Shipping documents straight to your door is free the first time. 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. That’s a long time compared to some competitors. LegalZoom, for example, offers revisions for only 30 days.
Getting started with the basics
Trust & Will vs. the Competition
Let’s take a look at how Trust & Will compares to similar companies.
LegalZoom
Trust & Will and LegalZoom offer similar services for estate planning, but LegalZoom is significantly cheaper. A basic trust estate plan costs $399 for an individual and $499 for a couple. A basic will costs $99 for an individual or $199 for a couple. Only premium plans — not basic — come with attorney review of your documents, attorney advice, and unlimited 30-minute calls with an attorney for a year. (After that, you’ll be charged $199 per year for Legal Assist until you cancel.)
Did You Know? The most common will is the simple will, which details how assets are to be handled and distributed.
LegalZoom gives you only 30 days of free revisions, but they offer a 60-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with their services, which is one month more than Trust & Will. LegalZoom has a leg up in the customer-support department, since it’s available by phone seven days a week and has a great chat feature. Trust & Will offers a simpler user experience, though, which makes it much more senior-friendly. Check out our LegalZoom review to learn more.
>> Further Reading: Best Online Will Makers
Rocket Lawyer
Trust & Will offers a comprehensive estate plan, while Rocket Lawyer offers a membership subscription for $39.99 per month after a free seven-day trial. You can create a trust or will with the subscription, but you’ll have to pay $149.99 per consult to have a legal professional review your documents.
Did You Know? Only 32 percent of Americans have a will. Others think they either don’t need them or they’re too confusing or expensive.
The main difference is that Rocket Lawyer is suited for people 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. It may also work better if you have a complicated situation that requires more detailed instruction.
Choosing between Trust & Will and Rocket Lawyer is a matter of preference. I’d still recommend Trust & Will for their simple user experience, because Rocket Lawyer can be a little difficult to navigate.
Our Methodology
Our team of experts spent over 50 hours carefully testing and reviewing Trust & Will’s online estate-planning services for aging adults to thoroughly evaluate the company’s quality and effectiveness. Criteria we considered included accuracy, compliance with legal standards, range of legal documents offered, and affordability. Below we highlight key factors used to evaluate the services.
- Cost: We considered the pricing structure, free trials, and free resources for basic documents. Our team also evaluated whether costs include updates or consultations with an attorney.
- Variety of documents: Online estate-planning services may include wills, trusts, advanced directives, and more. The ability to customize options to unique situations is important.
- Ease of use: Wills can be confusing, so websites that provide clear, guided steps with explanations of terminology can help seniors successfully navigate the process.
- Customer support: Using an online estate-planning service can result in many questions, so having access to quality customer support is important. We considered the methods of contact available, such as phone, live chat, and email support. Videos, FAQs, and other useful resources are a bonus.
Final Thoughts on Trust & Will
Trust & Will makes the estate-planning process easy and senior-friendly. They cover all the bases if you have basic needs for estate planning. They also make it effortless to complete the whole process, so you’ll spend less time completing documents. The company does a great job of explaining each service’s benefits.
The only catch is that customer-service representatives are hard to reach by phone. If you’re comfortable messaging representatives through the customer-service chat feature, however, you’ll receive excellent service.
Above all, the company’s 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 their loved ones are taken care of. Visit Trust & Will’s website for more information and to get started on your estate plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trust & Will
-
Is Trust & Will a legitimate company?
Yes, it is a legitimate company. All of the estate-planning documents they offer are legally valid and state-specific.
-
Is Trust & Will a law firm?
Trust & Will is not a law firm and cannot give legal advice, guidance, or services. It offers attorney support services in some states, however, for an extra fee.
-
How long does it take to complete a trust- or will-based estate plan?
It takes 20 minutes to complete a trust-based plan and 15 minutes to complete a will-based plan.
-
Can I share my estate plan with loved ones?
Yes. Every plan at Trust & Will includes the option to notify your loved ones about your trust or will.