Online will refund policies, read closely: when the clock starts, what is excluded, and where they contradict themselves

“Money-back guarantee” and “30-day refund” are reassuring words on a checkout page. The policies behind them are more varied: when the clock starts, which parts of a purchase they cover, and whether the company’s own documents agree. This page lines them up.

Every rule here comes from each company’s own terms and help pages, read on the date in the facts tables. The page carries no affiliate links and recommends nothing.

The rules side by side

Service	Main product	Clock starts	Excluded or different
Trust & Will	30 days from purchase (help centre)	Purchase	Membership: None for an active, paid membership. Attorney add-on: Full refund within 14 days if no appointment was used
LegalZoom	Until 7 days after your estate plan is completed	Completion	Attorney plans: Within 30 days, unless you have had a consultation
Rocket Lawyer	Within 30 days of purchase, except where state law allows otherwise	Purchase	Services already used, unless you have a good reason (its plain-English summary)
GoodTrust	14 days from purchase, free-trial days included	Purchase, trial included	After a refund: Account drops to the Free plan; the will can no longer be downloaded
LawDepot	Yearly subscriptions within 30 days of first purchase; none for a trial that converted, or for a renewal you did not cancel beforehand	First purchase	Its terms say it has no obligation to refund one-time purchases
Quicken WillMaker & Trust	No policy published on willmaker.com	—	—
FreeWill	Nothing to refund	—	—

Pattern 1: the clock that starts when you finish

Most windows run from the day you pay. LegalZoom’s estate plan window runs to 7 days after your estate plan is completed. That is a meaningful difference: if you finish your will the evening you buy it, your window closes a week later. If you take a month to finish, it closes a month and a week later. Fast, diligent customers get the shortest window.

Pattern 2: one checkout, several refund rules

A single purchase can contain parts with different rules:

• The plan may be refundable for 30 days.
• A membership added at checkout may not be refundable at all once paid, as at Trust & Will.
• An attorney plan may be refundable only if you have not used it, as at LegalZoom and Trust & Will.
• Partner services such as a notary or deed transfer may reduce what is refunded: Trust & Will’s help centre says part of the price may be withheld if attorney, notary, concierge or deed services were used.

Read the rule for each line on your receipt, not the headline.

Pattern 3: the trial that counts against you

GoodTrust’s refund window is 14 days, and its policy says free trial days are included in that period. A two-week trial followed by a purchase can leave you almost no refund window at all. LawDepot’s terms give no refund for a trial that converted to a paid subscription.

Pattern 4: the company that disagrees with itself

Trust & Will’s help-centre refund policy offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and says requests within 30 days are processed automatically. Its terms of service say all purchases are final and refunds are at its discretion, case by case. Both are official Trust & Will documents. We have recorded this in Trust & Will’s facts table below as a discrepancy.

In practice, the help-centre policy is the one customers see and the one Trust & Will describes as its process. If you need a refund, cite it, and keep a dated screenshot.

Pattern 5: the policy that is not published

We could not find a refund policy on willmaker.com, in its pricing FAQ or on its support page; Nolo’s own site blocked automated reading when we checked. That does not mean refunds are refused. It means you should ask before buying and keep the answer in writing.

Pattern 6: a refund can cost you your copy

GoodTrust says that after a refund, Account drops to the Free plan; the will can no longer be downloaded. LawDepot’s terms say documents May be deleted after cancellation; later access may require a fee. Download every document before asking for your money back. Your signed documents, if you have any, remain valid.

A checklist before you pay

1. Find the refund rule for the main product, and note whether it runs from purchase or completion.
2. Find the separate rules for any membership, attorney plan or partner service in your cart.
3. Check whether a trial counts toward the window.
4. Compare the help centre with the terms of service. If they differ, screenshot both with the date.
5. Write the expiry date in your calendar the day you buy.
6. Download everything before requesting a refund.

If you are already past a renewal or trial, our page on unexpected charges quotes each company’s cancellation steps, and our page on auto-renewal patterns explains how they arise.