Trust and Will: Simple, Affordable Estate Planning
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Plan Your Legacy with Complete Peace of Mind
Most people know they need a will or trust. The statistics are sobering: according to a 2023 Caring.com survey, nearly 67% of American adults don’t have any estate planning documents in place. The reasons are always the same: it feels overwhelming, attorney fees seem prohibitive, or it simply gets pushed to “someday.”
But here’s the reality: without proper estate planning, your family could face months of legal complications, tens of thousands in probate costs, and the emotional burden of making difficult decisions during an already painful time. State intestacy laws, not your wishes, will determine what happens to everything you’ve worked for.
The question isn’t whether you need estate planning. It’s finding an approach that actually fits your life.
Understanding Your Estate Planning Options
Before diving into any specific service, it’s helpful to understand what’s available and what each approach offers.
Traditional Attorney-Prepared Documents Working with an estate planning attorney provides personalized legal advice and complex planning for large estates. Attorneys can handle intricate situations involving business ownership, special needs trusts, or tax planning strategies. However, this route typically costs $3,000 to $5,000 or more for standard documents, and the process often requires multiple appointments over several weeks or months.
DIY Estate Planning Kits Pre-printed forms or basic software kits are available at office supply stores or online for $50 to $150. While inexpensive, these generic templates don’t account for state-specific legal requirements, and a single error can render your documents invalid. They also lack legal review or guidance, leaving many people uncertain whether they’ve completed everything correctly.
Online Estate Planning Platforms A newer option combines legal expertise with technology. These platforms provide state-specific, attorney-approved documents through guided questionnaires that can be completed at your own pace. Pricing typically ranges from $159 to $599 depending on document complexity, with the ability to update documents as life changes. The trade-off is less personalized advice for complex situations.
According to the American Bar Association, online estate planning services are appropriate for individuals and families with straightforward situations: those with typical assets (home, vehicles, retirement accounts), minor children needing guardianship designation, or basic healthcare directive needs.
When Online Estate Planning Makes Sense
Online platforms work well for:
- Families with minor children who need to designate guardians
- Individuals with straightforward assets under $1 million
- Those who want to avoid probate through basic trust creation
- People needing healthcare directives and power of attorney
- Anyone whose primary goal is protecting family without complex tax planning
They may not be sufficient for:
- High-net-worth individuals with estates over $1 million requiring tax strategies
- Business owners needing succession planning
- Blended families with complex inheritance wishes
- Special needs trust requirements
The National Institute on Aging recommends that everyone, regardless of age or wealth, should have basic advance directives in place, including a healthcare power of attorney and living will.
Trust & Will: Attorney-Approved Estate Planning
Trust & Will has emerged as one of the leading online estate planning platforms, serving over 500,000 families since its founding in 2017. The platform was created by estate planning attorneys and legal experts specifically to make essential documents accessible to families who need protection but face barriers with traditional legal services.
Understanding Estate Planning Within Legal and Tax Frameworks
Estate planning intersects with various legal and financial systems that families must navigate during difficult times. The IRS provides tax guidance that affects how assets transfer to beneficiaries, making proper planning essential for minimizing tax burdens on surviving family members. While most estates fall below federal estate tax thresholds, understanding these frameworks helps families make informed decisions about whether simple wills suffice or whether trusts and other advanced planning tools become necessary for their specific financial situations and family circumstances.
Beyond federal tax considerations, estate planning must account for state-level probate processes, inheritance laws, and the varying requirements for document validity across different jurisdictions. Research on estate planning demonstrates how proper planning reduces administrative burden, prevents family conflicts over asset distribution, and ensures wishes are honored when families face loss. The research also shows that comprehensive planning addressing multiple scenarios – minor children needing guardians, incapacity requiring powers of attorney, healthcare decisions through advance directives – provides significantly better protection than simple wills addressing only post-death asset distribution.
For deeper context about how estate planning fits within broader end-of-life preparation, resources on estate planning fundamentals provide comprehensive frameworks helping families understand why these decisions matter and how various planning elements work together creating complete protection for loved ones. This integrated understanding helps families evaluate whether online platforms like Trust & Will adequately address their needs or whether their circumstances require traditional attorney consultation for complex estates, blended families, or situations involving business ownership and significant assets.
What Trust & Will Offers
The platform provides three core document types:
Last Will and Testament A legally valid will designates beneficiaries for your assets, names guardians for minor children, and appoints an executor to manage your estate. Trust & Will’s guided process asks simple questions about your family situation, assets, and wishes, then generates state-specific documents that comply with your jurisdiction’s legal requirements.
Living Trust A revocable living trust allows assets to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court involvement, saving time and money for your family. The process of setting up a trust through Trust & Will mirrors will creation but includes additional asset transfer guidance. Trusts are particularly valuable for real estate, investment accounts, and anyone wanting to maintain privacy (probate is public record).
Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney These advance directives allow you to designate trusted individuals to make medical or financial decisions if you become incapacitated. Trust & Will includes healthcare proxy, living will, and HIPAA authorization forms specific to your state’s requirements.
The Platform Experience
Trust & Will operates entirely online. After creating an account, you’ll answer a series of straightforward questions about your family structure, assets, and wishes. The platform provides clear explanations and examples for each section, and you can save progress and return anytime.
The questionnaire typically takes 10 to 20 minutes for a will, or 20 to 30 minutes for a trust. Once completed, Trust & Will generates your documents in PDF format with signing instructions specific to your state. Most states require witness signatures or notarization, and the platform provides detailed guidance for proper execution.
Documents can be updated anytime as your life circumstances change (marriage, divorce, new children, asset changes), and updates are included with your subscription.
Legal Validity and Attorney Involvement
Trust & Will’s documents are created by licensed estate planning attorneys and updated regularly to reflect changes in state law. The platform holds legal licenses in all 50 states and is backed by a team of legal professionals who review document templates.
While Trust & Will provides legally valid documents, the service does not constitute legal advice. The platform clearly states that users with complex estates or unusual circumstances should consult with a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction.
Security and Privacy
Estate planning documents contain sensitive personal and financial information. Trust & Will uses bank-level 256-bit encryption for data storage and transmission. The company is SOC 2 Type II certified, meaning independent auditors have verified their security controls and practices.
Documents are stored securely in your online account, accessible only to you, and you can share access with designated family members or executors when appropriate.
Pricing Structure
Trust & Will offers several tiers:
- Individual Will: $199 for a single person’s will and advance directives
- Couple’s Will: $299 for both partners’ wills and advance directives
- Trust-Based Estate Plan: $499 for an individual or $599 for couples, including living trust, will, and advance directives
All plans include unlimited updates and customer support. The platform occasionally offers promotional discounts.
Memorial Merits readers can save 10% sitewide using code EXCLUSIVE10 at checkout (Offer below).
How Other Families Have Used Trust & Will
The platform has helped families in various situations:
A single mother in Virginia used the service to designate guardianship for her two children and ensure her home would pass to them without probate complications. The entire process took less than 15 minutes, costing a fraction of the $4,000 estimate she received from a local attorney.
A Florida couple in their 60s created a living trust through the platform to protect their rental property and investment accounts. By avoiding probate, they estimated their children would save $8,000 to $12,000 in court costs and legal fees.
A Texas professional used Trust & Will to establish healthcare directives after a family medical crisis highlighted the need for advance planning. He appreciated the ability to complete everything digitally without scheduling attorney appointments around his work schedule.
Making Your Decision
Estate planning is deeply personal. The right approach depends on your specific situation, asset complexity, and comfort level with different service models.
For many families, online platforms like Trust & Will provide an accessible middle ground: legally valid, attorney-approved documents without the cost and time investment of traditional legal services. The platform works particularly well for straightforward situations where the primary goals are protecting minor children, avoiding probate, and ensuring wishes are documented.
More complex estates involving business interests, significant real estate holdings, tax planning needs, or special circumstances may benefit from direct attorney consultation.
The most important step is taking action. Every day without proper planning puts your family at risk of unnecessary legal complications and financial burden during an already difficult time.
Trust & Will Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, if properly executed according to your state’s requirements. Trust & Will provides state-specific documents and signing instructions that comply with legal requirements in all 50 states. Most states require witness signatures or notarization, and the platform provides clear guidance for proper execution in your jurisdiction.
Most people benefit from starting with a will, which designates beneficiaries, names guardians for minor children, and appoints an executor. A living trust offers additional benefits by allowing assets to pass outside of probate, maintaining privacy, and potentially saving significant time and money for your beneficiaries. Trusts are particularly valuable if you own real estate, have substantial assets, or want to avoid the public probate process. Trust & Will’s platform includes guidance to help determine which documents best fit your situation.
Yes. Life circumstances change through marriage, divorce, births, deaths, relocations, or asset changes. Trust & Will includes unlimited updates with your plan, allowing you to revise beneficiaries, guardians, or any other provisions as needed. Simply log into your account, make changes, and generate updated documents.
Trust & Will provides customer support via email and phone during business hours. The platform also includes helpful explanations, examples, and tooltips throughout the questionnaire to clarify legal terms and concepts. However, the service does not provide personalized legal advice. If you have complex legal questions about your specific situation, you should consult with a licensed estate planning attorney in your state.
Most people complete a will in 10 to 20 minutes. A trust-based estate plan typically takes 20 to 30 minutes. You can save your progress and return anytime, so there’s no pressure to finish in one sitting. The questionnaire moves at your pace, and you can review and revise your answers before finalizing documents.
Your completed documents are legally valid regardless of Trust & Will’s business status. You receive PDF copies that you can download, print, and store according to your state’s requirements. The documents remain effective as long as they were properly executed. Additionally, Trust & Will provides recommendations for where to safely store original documents (fireproof safe, with your attorney, or in a safe deposit box).
For straightforward estate planning needs, online platforms provide legally valid documents without attorney fees. However, you should consult with a licensed estate planning attorney if you have a complex estate (typically over $1 million), own a business, have special needs beneficiaries, need tax planning strategies, have a blended family with complex wishes, or face unique legal circumstances. Trust & Will clearly indicates when situations may benefit from professional legal advice.
Take Action Today
Estate planning protects the people you love most. While it’s tempting to postpone this task, the reality is that life is unpredictable. Having legally valid documents in place provides peace of mind and spares your family from unnecessary legal complications during an already difficult time.
Trust & Will offers a secure, affordable way to create attorney-approved estate planning documents in minutes, not months.
Ready to protect your family’s future?
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