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What online wills and trusts really cost: the three-year bill for 8 services

Over three years, a complete online will plan costs from nothing (FreeWill) to $149 (Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus) to $199 and up (Trust & Will), and a living trust from $149 to $499 for one person before any extras. What moves the three-year total is not the first price but what renews: memberships, attorney plans and subscriptions. The tables below give every figure with its source and date.

By Nora Whitfield, consumer researcher (not an attorney). Published . Based on the providers' published pricing and terms. How we check.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend or the order we list things in. How we make money.

Every online will service shows a “starting at” price, and almost none of them are for the same thing. One is the will alone; another includes powers of attorney; a third covers your spouse; a fourth starts a monthly charge after 30 days. This page puts every published price for the eight services we track into the same tables, then works out what each costs over three years under stated assumptions.

All figures come from each company’s own pricing pages, plan comparisons, help centres and terms, and every one appears with its source and check date in the facts tables at the bottom of this page. Where a company does not publish something, we say so and do not estimate.

How we calculate the three-year bill

  • “Complete will set” means the cheapest tier that includes a will, a health care directive and a financial power of attorney.
  • Living trust means the cheapest tier that includes a revocable living trust.
  • Renewals are counted at today’s published renewal price. Monthly renewals start after any included period; yearly renewals start at the beginning of year two, except Trust & Will’s membership, which is paid from year one if you add it at checkout.
  • Couples: where a provider prices a membership per year without saying whether a couple pays once or twice, we assume once and say so.
  • Not included: notary fees, deed recording fees, taxes and discounts. Partner prices for notary and deed help are listed separately.

First-year prices

Service Complete will set, one person Couple Living trust, one person Couple
Trust & Will $199 $299 $499 $599
LegalZoom $149 (Pro) $249 $399 (Basic) $499
Quicken WillMaker & Trust $149 (Plus) Same plan $149 (Plus) Same plan
Rocket Lawyer $149/year (Standard membership) Not published Not published Not published
FreeWill Free Free for each California only, free California only
Ethos With certain life policies With the policy With certain life policies With the policy
LawDepot $107.88/year (estate documents subscription) Not published Not published Not published
GoodTrust $149 Family at no extra fee Included Included

Lower sticker prices exist but are not complete: LegalZoom’s Basic Will at $129 is the will alone, and WillMaker’s Starter at $109 has no financial power of attorney.

What renews

Service What renews Price Required?
Trust & Will Essentials membership (editing, digital safe, shipping) $49/year No
Trust & Will Pro membership (adds attorney support) $299/year No
LegalZoom Attorney plan bundled with Pro Will $25/month after 30 days Renews unless cancelled
LegalZoom Attorney plan bundled with Premium tiers $199/year attorney plan after year one Renews unless cancelled
Quicken WillMaker & Trust Revisions and updates after year one $39.99/year for more revisions, optional No
Rocket Lawyer Membership $149/year or $34.99/month It is the product
LawDepot Subscription, after trial if chosen 7 days, then $49/month Only if you subscribe
GoodTrust Updates after the first year (editing and downloading need an active subscription) $39/year No, but needed to edit or download
FreeWill Nothing Free Not applicable

Three-year totals, one person

Complete will set, no extras Will set, editing or attorney kept for three years Living trust, no extras Trust, editing or attorney kept for three years
FreeWill Free Free California only California only
Quicken WillMaker & Trust $149 $228.98 $149 $228.98
Trust & Will $199 $346 (Essentials) $499 $646 (Essentials) or $1,396 (Pro)
LegalZoom $149 (plan cancelled) $1,024 (Pro plan never cancelled) or $697 (Premium Will renewed twice) $399 $947 (Premium Trust renewed twice)

Three-year totals, couple

Will set, no extras Will set, kept open three years Living trust, no extras Trust, kept open three years
FreeWill Free Free California only California only
Quicken WillMaker & Trust $149 $228.98 $149 $228.98
Trust & Will $299 $446 (Essentials, one per account) $599 $746 (same assumption)
LegalZoom $249 (plan cancelled) $797 (Premium Will renewed twice) $499 $1,047 (Premium Trust renewed twice)

Costs after you sign

These are optional, and you can usually do them more cheaply yourself, but two companies publish prices:

Mobile notary with witnesses Moving a house deed into the trust
Trust & Will (partners) $170 to $210 $140 per deed, plus recording fees
LegalZoom Not listed on estate plan pages $249, plus state filing fees

What the numbers show

  1. The first price is a poor guide. LegalZoom’s Pro Will and WillMaker’s Plus cost the same on day one; over three years, one can cost several times the other depending on a single cancellation.
  2. Couples should look at WillMaker first. No other paid service covers a spouse at no extra cost.
  3. The free option is complete. FreeWill’s will, health care directive and power of attorney cost nothing, now or later.
  4. Ongoing fees buy different things. WillMaker’s and Trust & Will’s Essentials renewals buy editing; LegalZoom’s buy attorney access and revisions; Trust & Will’s Pro buys attorney support. Compare them by what you would use.
  5. The trust premium varies a lot. Moving from a will set to a trust adds nothing at WillMaker (Plus includes both), $300, the difference between plans at Trust & Will, and the difference between LegalZoom’s Pro Will and its Basic Trust there.

What is not published

Some figures that matter are not on any public page we could find. The facts tables below list these per provider. The most important:

  • Trust & Will: whether the Essentials membership is pre-selected at checkout, and whether the +$299 attorney support is a one-time charge.
  • LegalZoom: what a revision costs after the free revision period, outside the attorney plan.
  • Quicken WillMaker & Trust: a refund policy, and what the All Access plan’s one-year subscription covers.
  • Rocket Lawyer: a one-off will price without a membership, and whether downloading its advertised free will requires starting the trial.
  • Ethos: a standalone price for a will or trust without a policy.
  • GoodTrust: whether its yearly update fee renews automatically, and its own pages disagree on how many family members one plan covers.

Two providers’ own pages also disagree with each other: Trust & Will’s terms of service and its refund policy describe refunds differently, and LegalZoom’s will page and its Legal Plan Contract give different prices for the plan behind the Pro Will’s attorney calls. Both are shown in the facts tables.

Which total applies to you?

Find your row in three questions:

  1. Will set or trust? If you own a home and want to avoid probate, or want someone to manage your property if you cannot, read the trust columns. Otherwise the will set columns.
  2. One person or couple? Use the matching table. Couples see the biggest differences between services.
  3. Will you change the plan or want a lawyer in the next three years? If no, use the “no extras” column and decline every renewal. If you expect to edit, use the “kept open” column for WillMaker or Trust & Will Essentials. If you want attorney access, use LegalZoom’s Premium figures or Trust & Will’s Pro figure.

Then add the finishing costs that apply: a notary for most trusts and powers of attorney, witnesses for your will, and a deed recording fee if you move a house into a trust.

Using this page

The tables are rebuilt from the same fact file every time the site is published, so the numbers here always match the reviews and comparisons. If a price here no longer matches the provider’s page, tell us and we will re-check it and log the correction.

Trust & Will: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Will, one person $199 Will plan.
Will, couple $299 Will plan.
Living trust, one person $499 Trust plan, includes a pour-over will.
Living trust, couple $599 Trust plan.
Ongoing yearly cost $49/year Essentials membership, optional: you can choose "No, thanks" at checkout. Auto-renews if you add it.
Attorney support add-on +$299 Shown on both the will and trust plans.
Attorney-drafted plan (complex needs) From $1,499 For special-needs children, estates of $15M+, businesses with 3+ employees or complex blended families.
Pro membership $299/year Only from account settings after checkout. Adds attorney support, an estate tax report and premium support.
Editing your plan after purchase Needs the Essentials membership The free tier keeps the digital download and Plan Strength score; "edit your plan at any time" is an Essentials benefit.
Refund window 30 days from purchase Help-centre "satisfaction guarantee". Part of the price may be withheld if attorney, notary, concierge or deed services were used.
Membership refunds None for an active, paid membership
Attorney add-on refund Full refund within 14 days if no appointment was used
Upgrading a will plan to a trust $300, the difference between plans
Mobile notary with 2 witnesses (Snapdocs) $170 to $210 $170 will plan, one person; $180 couple; $190 trust, one person; $200 joint trust; $210 separate trusts for a couple. Optional partner service.
Deed transfer into the trust (Bundle) $140 per deed, plus recording fees Optional partner service; deed notarization is +$100. Trust & Will says it earns a referral commission.
State limits All 50 states; no trusts in Louisiana Not available in U.S. territories.
Payment plans Available through Klarna
Disputes Mandatory arbitration and a class-action waiver Stated at the top of the terms of service (section 22).
Your plan data and AI Not used to train external AI models Applies to its own AI features; not to third-party AI agents you connect yourself.
Who owns what you enter You keep ownership of your estate plan content
Legal status Not a law firm; does not give legal advice Stated in the footer of every help-centre page. Attorney services come from independent, state-licensed attorneys under a separate agreement.
Not published before sign-up: Whether the Essentials membership is pre-selected at checkout (the help centre only says you can choose "No, thanks"); Whether the +$299 attorney support on the pricing page is a one-time charge (the refund policy calls it an "individual" purchase; the Pro membership with attorney support is $299 a year).
  • Their own pages disagree: The terms of service say all purchases are final and refunds are discretionary, case by case. The help-centre refund policy promises a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and says refund requests inside 30 days are processed automatically. (page A, page B; noted ).
LegalZoom: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Will, one person $129 Basic will: will only, with 30 days of revisions.
Pro will, individual $149 Adds health care and financial documents and 30 days of attorney calls.
Premium will, individual $299 Adds a year of attorney calls and a year of revisions.
Will, couple $229 Basic will.
Pro and Premium will, couple $249 Pro; $399 Premium Same inclusions as the individual tiers.
Living trust, one person $399 Basic trust, includes a pour-over will.
Premium trust, individual $549 Adds a year of attorney calls and a year of revisions.
Living trust, couple $499 Basic trust. Premium trust for a couple is listed separately.
Premium trust, couple $649
Attorney plan renewal (Pro will) $25/month after 30 days Charged automatically to the card on file; cancel online or by phone.
Ongoing yearly cost $199/year attorney plan after year one Premium will and trust only; continues automatically, cancel online or by phone. Basic plans have no renewal on the pricing page.
Refund window 7 days after your estate plan is completed Within 60 days of purchase if the order is not yet completed. Completed means available to download or received in the mail.
Attorney plan refunds Within 30 days, unless you have had a consultation
Personal attorney plan on its own $199/year, or $119 every 6 months Includes attorney review and unlimited revisions of LegalZoom estate planning documents, and family coverage for a spouse and dependent children.
Renewal reminder About a week before billing, "as a courtesy only" The contract says a missed or unsent reminder does not excuse the charge.
How to cancel the attorney plan Online in My Account, or by phone
State limits Says its wills and trusts are accepted in all 50 states
Couple trust One joint living trust with two pour-over wills
Free revisions 30 days on Basic and Pro; 1 year on Premium
Pro will, couple $249
Premium will, couple $399
Deed transfer into the trust $249, plus state filing fees Standard package: title research, deed preparation and filing with the county recorder. Express is $289.
Not published before sign-up: What a revision costs after the free revision period ends, outside the attorney plan.
  • Their own pages disagree: The will page says the Pro will's attorney plan renews at $25/month and is fulfilled through Legal Advantage Plus; the Legal Plan Contract's fee schedule lists Legal Advantage Plus at $14.99 per month. (page A, page B; noted ).
Quicken WillMaker & Trust: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Will, one person $109 Starter plan: wills, health care directives, final arrangements.
Living trust, one person $149 Plus plan: adds the living trust, power of attorney, transfer-on-death deed and the download version.
All Access plan $219 Adds smaller documents and a one-year subscription.
Will, couple No surcharge: up to 5 of each document for immediate family No joint wills: each spouse makes a separate will under the same plan.
Free revisions 1 year from purchase
Ongoing yearly cost $39.99/year for more revisions, optional Documents stay accessible for 90 days after the revision period ends.
State limits Not usable in Louisiana Also not for people whose permanent residence is outside the United States.
Online version access Make and revise for 1 year; documents viewable 90 days after
Download version access Use indefinitely; legal and technical updates for 1 year Plus and All Access only. Data cannot move between the online and download versions.
How documents are finalized Wills witnessed; living trusts and financial powers of attorney notarized Health care directives are witnessed, notarized or both, depending on the state. Every document comes with state-specific signing instructions.
Beneficiary survival period Beneficiaries must outlive you by 45 days Built into every WillMaker will; otherwise the gift goes to the alternate.
Not published before sign-up: A refund policy (none found on willmaker.com; nolo.com blocked automated reading on Nov 15, 2026); What the "1 Yr Subscription" in the All Access plan covers beyond the plan itself.
Rocket Lawyer: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Standard membership, billed monthly $34.99/month
Standard membership, billed yearly $149/year
Free trial 7 days Billing starts after the trial.
Legal Advice Session (Standard plan) $149 for 30 min; $249 for 60 min
Written attorney questions (Standard plan) 12 with yearly billing; 1 with monthly billing "Ask an Attorney": a written response within one business day.
Last will document Advertised as a free will template, 50 states and DC The page offers attorney review and questions as paid extras through the membership.
Plus membership $249/year or $49.99/month Plus adds Consult an Attorney Live calls: 12 a year with yearly billing, 1 with monthly billing (pricing page).
Pro membership $349/year or $64.99/month Unlimited Ask an Attorney and Consult an Attorney Live.
Consult an Attorney Live 20-minute phone or video call; not included in Standard
How the free trial bills One trial per customer; card required; billed the day after the trial ends unless you cancel A temporary $1.00 authorization checks the card. Cancelling during the trial ends it immediately.
Paying a yearly plan in installments Yearly plans can be paid upfront or in four monthly installments
Documents after cancelling Documents you made stay available in your account, but you cannot make new ones
Download formats Word, PDF or text with a trial or paid membership; PDF on a free account for documents you paid for
Refund requests Within 30 days of purchase, except where state law allows otherwise The terms' plain-English summary: no refunds for services already used unless you have a good reason.
Renewal Monthly and yearly plans renew automatically until cancelled
Enforceability guarantee Applies only to documents you have not modified
Stored documents The terms say Rocket Lawyer is not liable for deleting or failing to store your documents
Disputes Binding JAMS arbitration, no class actions; small claims court allowed
Who the attorneys are Independent attorneys in its network, or Rocket Legal Professional Services, an Arizona ABS law firm Ask an Attorney and Consult Live give legal information; privileged advice is the paid Legal Advice Session.
Living trust document Advertised as a free living trust template; signed by you, the trustee and a notary The page says the template is not appropriate if your estate exceeds the federal estate tax exclusion. Funding worksheet, bill of transfer and certification of trust are listed as related documents.
States covered by the will All 50 states and DC, Louisiana included The Louisiana version follows the notarial will form: signed on every page before a notary and two witnesses.
Not published before sign-up: A one-off price for a will without a membership (not shown on the pricing page); Whether printing or downloading the "free" will requires starting the 7-day membership trial; Whether a document made during the free trial can still be downloaded after the trial is cancelled; Whether a joint living trust for couples is offered: the living trust page shows a single-grantor document.
FreeWill: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Will, one person Free No credit card required; paid for by nonprofit partners.
Living trust, one person Free, California residents only
Other documents Health care directive and financial power of attorney, also free
Signing guidance Two witnesses, 18 or older, not named in the will In Louisiana, FreeWill says to sign with two witnesses in front of a notary.
Changing your will Free: edit in your account, print and sign again
State limits Wills for property in the 50 states and DC Property abroad needs a separate will valid where it is located.
Who pays for it More than 1,000 nonprofit partners sponsor the service FreeWill Co. describes itself as a Delaware public benefit corporation.
Wills for couples Free mirror will for a spouse or domestic partner; each partner can also make their own will in the same account Offered only if you say you are married or in a domestic partnership. FreeWill suggests a mirror will mainly when neither of you has children with someone else.
Living trust for couples Its trust page says you can create a trust with your spouse or partner The trust itself is offered to California residents only (FreeWill FAQs). A pour-over will is generated with it.
Changing a signed trust No amendments: start a new trust if it is unsigned and unfunded; otherwise move assets to a new trust or see an attorney
Codicils Not offered: edit and re-sign a new will instead
Online notarisation Through Proof, paid to Proof; bring your own witnesses or pay Proof for them
Will notarisation Required only in Louisiana; elsewhere optional, for a self-proving affidavit FreeWill says Ohio and Washington, D.C. do not allow self-proving affidavits.
Copies of your documents Its help centre says FreeWill does not store or maintain copies of your documents Your answers stay in your account so you can edit and download again.
What nonprofits receive Only if you leave a gift and ask FreeWill to notify that charity The privacy notice lists contact details, birth year, city and state, and gift amount, and says the charity may use them for its own fundraising.
Attorney access None built in; it points you to local attorneys, including its FreeWill Fellows
Ethos: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
How it is offered Complimentary with certain Ethos life policies (Perks rider)
State limits Not available in Alaska or Louisiana The Perks rider is not available on policies issued in Washington or South Dakota. The free-will page lists Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota and Washington together.
Sold on its own? No: "not a standalone product" The page adds it "should not be the sole reason to purchase life insurance". Not offered with TruStage policies.
Documents Tools to create a will, trust, power of attorney and more The estate planning terms list wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance health care directives.
Existing Ethos policyholders Can add the will and estate planning tools at no additional cost
Who provides it Ethos Estate Planning, LLC, a subsidiary; not a law firm Templates are "approved by attorneys"; the terms say there is no attorney-client relationship and Ethos does not review your documents.
Updates The online tool "allows for updates as needed" Cost and duration of updates are not stated.
Signing Print and sign according to your state's requirements
Time to complete Under 20 minutes for the will, by Ethos's account
Not published before sign-up: A standalone price for a will or trust without a policy (Ethos says it is not a standalone product); What happens to access and documents if the life policy lapses or is cancelled; Whether couples can make a joint trust; Any trust funding or deed transfer help; Any online notary option.
  • Their own pages disagree: The estate planning page footer says wills and trusts are not available in Alaska and Louisiana; the free-will page says the service is not available in Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota or Washington. (page A, page B; noted ).
LawDepot: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Free trial 7 days, then $49/month Unlimited access to all documents during the trial; cancel any time.
1-year Pro subscription $155.88/year Renews annually.
Estate planning documents, monthly $35/month
Estate planning documents, yearly $107.88/year Renews annually.
Single document $7.50 to $119, one-time Depends on the document.
Free trial billing Card required; billed if the trial is not cancelled before it ends Cancel online from the help centre ('End free trial') or your account.
Refunds Yearly subscriptions within 30 days of first purchase; none for a trial that converted, or for a renewal you did not cancel beforehand The terms also say LawDepot has no obligation to refund one-time purchases.
Using documents made during a free trial Not for new transactions starting one month after your access ends Applies to documents obtained under a free trial, and to documents used in transactions you are not a party to.
Documents after cancelling May be deleted after cancellation; later access may require a fee
What the will covers Executor, beneficiaries, specific gifts, guardian, pet caretaker with funds, an inheritance age for young beneficiaries, self-proving affidavit A Spanish-language will and a codicil are separate documents in the library.
Online notary for wills Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Washington; in Nevada the will but not the self-proving affidavit
Living trust document Revocable living trust template, notarised where your state requires; online notary not available for trusts in New York or Minnesota Pour-over will, quitclaim deed and warranty deed are separate documents in the library.
Disputes Binding arbitration, no class actions, with a 30-day right to opt out for covered U.S. users LawDepot is a trade name of Sequiter Inc. Terms last modified September 10, 2026.
Not published before sign-up: The one-time price of the will itself (the pricing page gives a range for all single documents); The price of its 'Talk to a Lawyer' connection.
GoodTrust: what it publishes
ItemPublished valueChecked
Estate plan (will, trust and directives) $149 Estate+ plan. Includes a year of unlimited updates. Per the pricing page, family members can each create their own plan at no extra fee.
Updates after the first year $39/year The help article says you are charged this after the first year "to continue making updates". It does not say whether it renews automatically.
Editing and downloading Needs an active subscription The same article says you can cancel at any time and re-subscribe when you want to make changes.
Documents in the plan Revocable living trust, will, financial power of attorney, health care directive, funeral and pet directives, digital vault
Family members Each adult family member can make their own plan at no extra cost Activated with a family plan code from your dashboard.
Couples A joint trust is possible; each spouse needs a separate pour-over will
Refunds 14 days from purchase, free-trial days included Request by support ticket; refunds take 5 to 10 business days.
After a refund or without a subscription Account drops to the Free plan; the will can no longer be downloaded
Legal advice Not a law firm; no legal advice or attorney service The home page says documents are drafted by estate planning attorneys.
Where documents are valid Says valid in all 50 states; documents valid only in the U.S.
Free trial One trial only; cancel from your billing section Trial length and whether a card is needed are not stated.
Not published before sign-up: Whether the $39 yearly update fee renews automatically; How long the free trial lasts and whether it needs a card; Whether Louisiana or any other state is excluded (pages say "valid in all 50 states"); Whether the trust must be notarised (the trust page only says to print and sign with two witnesses); Any deed transfer or trust funding service.
  • Their own pages disagree: The help-centre cost article says the plan includes "up to 4 complimentary accounts for family members"; the pricing and trust pages say it covers unlimited family members. (page A, page B; noted ).

Questions people ask next

Why three years?

It is long enough to include the first renewals of any membership or attorney plan, and roughly the point at which many people first need to change their plan after a life event. One-year comparisons flatter services whose costs start in year two.

Do these totals include notary and deed costs?

No. Those depend on your state and on whether you use a paid service. Where a company publishes prices for notary or deed help, they are listed separately below.

How often are these prices checked?

Every figure carries the date it was last read from the provider's page, and anything not re-read within 45 days is marked as due for a re-check. The full fact file is published as JSON.

Why are some cells 'not published'?

Because the provider does not publish that figure before you pay, or we could not find it. We do not estimate. The list of what each service leaves unpublished is part of this page.

Sources

  1. Trust & Will plan comparison and prices
  2. Trust & Will help centre: membership tiers
  3. LegalZoom last will page and pricing
  4. LegalZoom living trust page and pricing
  5. LegalZoom personal attorney plans
  6. WillMaker plans, pricing and FAQ
  7. Rocket Lawyer pricing
  8. FreeWill home page
  9. Ethos estate planning page
  10. LawDepot pricing
  11. GoodTrust pricing

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change; talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.