The most recognised online legal brand — LegalZoom's 20-year track record and 4M+ customers make it the easiest recommendation for seniors who need brand familiarity before trusting an online platform with their estate.
Key features
4M+ customers since 2001
Attorney consultation available
Living trust with pour-over will
Durable POA and healthcare directive
Documents valid in all 50 states
Best for
Seniors who need brand-name reassurance before providing personal information to an online legal platform.
Worth knowing
Attorney add-on is priced separately — total cost can approach that of a local estate attorney for complex needs.
The highest-rated online estate planning platform — attorney-reviewed wills, living trusts, and advance directives valid in all 50 states, completed in under 20 minutes.
Key features
Attorney-reviewed in all 50 states
Will, trust, and directive options
Digital vault storage included
Executor guidance
Unlimited updates first year
Best for
Seniors 55+ who have been delaying estate planning — the highest purchase-intent audience in this category.
Worth knowing
Not a substitute for an attorney in complex situations — blended families, business assets, or ongoing disputes benefit from professional counsel.
A will directs how your assets are distributed after death and must go through probate court before assets are transferred. A living trust holds assets during your lifetime and transfers them to beneficiaries at death without probate. A trust also manages assets if you become incapacitated. Trusts are more expensive to establish but more efficient for estate transfer.
If you have a living trust, you still need a 'pour-over will' — a simple will that captures any assets not placed in the trust before your death and directs them into the trust. The pour-over will goes through probate but ensures nothing is left outside the trust's distribution framework. Most complete estate plans include both.
Choose someone you trust completely, who is organized and financially responsible, willing to serve, and likely to outlive you. A spouse, adult child, or trusted friend are common choices. For complex estates or to avoid family conflict, a professional fiduciary or trust company can serve as trustee. Name a successor in case your first choice is unable or unwilling to serve.
Real estate, investment accounts (brokerage accounts, not IRAs), bank accounts, business interests, and valuable personal property should be formally retitled into the trust. Retirement accounts (IRA, 401k) and life insurance should name beneficiaries directly — they pass outside probate and generally should not be titled in the trust.
