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Online wills with attorney review: what each service's lawyer actually does, and what it costs

If you want a lawyer to look over the will you made, LegalZoom's Premium will at $299 is the simplest package: a year of 30-minute attorney calls and an annual plan review, renewing at $199/year attorney plan after year one. If you have one or two specific questions, Rocket Lawyer's Standard membership includes written attorney questions (12 with yearly billing; 1 with monthly billing) for $149/year. If your situation is complex enough that a lawyer should draft the plan, Trust & Will's attorney-drafted plan starts From $1,499. None of these is the same as hiring your own estate planning attorney.

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.

Quick picks

  • A year of attorney calls with your will: Premium tiers include unlimited 30-minute consultations for a year and an annual one-hour estate plan review. See LegalZoom Premium
  • A few written questions, cheaply: Standard membership includes written attorney questions answered within one business day, plus the will template. See Rocket Lawyer plans
  • A lawyer drafts the plan for you: An attorney-drafted custom plan from a matched, independent attorney, aimed at complex situations. See the attorney plan

“Attorney review” is one of the most stretched phrases in online estate planning. It can mean a lawyer answers one written question, a month of phone calls while you draft, an annual check of your finished plan, or a lawyer who actually writes your documents. The prices vary just as much.

This page sorts out what each service’s attorney access really is, what it costs, what renews, and what to do if you do not use it. Every figure comes from each company’s own pages and terms, read on the date in the facts table. We have not used any of the attorney services.

The four kinds of attorney help

  1. Written questions. You type a question, an attorney replies. Legal information, not advice on your situation.
  2. Phone or video consultations. Short calls, typically 20 or 30 minutes, about your questions.
  3. Review of your documents. An attorney looks over what you made and flags problems.
  4. Attorney drafting. A lawyer takes your situation and writes the plan.

Only the fourth replaces hiring your own estate planning attorney. The first three are a safety net for a plan you still make yourself.

What each service offers

Service Kind of help Price What renews
LegalZoom Pro Will Unlimited 30-minute calls for 30 days $149 $25/month after 30 days
LegalZoom Premium Will or Trust A year of 30-minute calls, a year of revisions, an annual one-hour plan review $299 (will); $549 (trust) $199/year attorney plan after year one
LegalZoom personal attorney plan Calls, plus attorney review and revisions of LegalZoom estate documents $199/year, or $119 every 6 months Yes
Trust & Will attorney add-on Attorney support on your plan +$299 Not stated
Trust & Will Pro membership Attorney support, an estate tax report, premium support $299/year Yes
Trust & Will attorney-drafted plan A matched attorney drafts a custom plan From $1,499 Not stated
Rocket Lawyer Standard Written questions: 12 with yearly billing; 1 with monthly billing $149/year Yes
Rocket Lawyer Plus and Pro Adds live calls: 20-minute phone or video call; not included in Standard $249/year or $49.99/month; $349/year or $64.99/month Yes
Rocket Lawyer Legal Advice Session Privileged advice on your situation $149 for 30 min; $249 for 60 min No
Quicken WillMaker & Trust, GoodTrust, FreeWill, Ethos None — —

Trust & Will does not say whether its +$299 add-on is a one-time charge; its refund policy calls it an individual purchase, which suggests so. Ask before buying. LegalZoom’s own pages state two different prices for the plan behind the Pro Will’s calls; our LegalZoom review explains the discrepancy.

Which is right for you?

You have a few specific questions. For example: can I leave my house to one child and cash to the other? Does my beneficiary abroad cause problems? Rocket Lawyer’s written questions are the cheapest way to get a lawyer’s answer, and you can make the will in the same membership. Our LegalZoom vs Rocket Lawyer page compares the two models.

You want reassurance while you draft and a check once a year. LegalZoom Premium. A year of calls plus an annual one-hour review is the most complete packaged review on the market. Decide before the renewal whether you want the second year.

You want a lawyer’s eye on a Trust & Will plan. Trust & Will’s add-on at +$299, refundable within 14 days if unused, or the Pro membership if you want ongoing access.

Your situation is genuinely complex. A special-needs child, a business, a large estate, a blended family where you want your spouse provided for and then your own children. Review is not enough; you need drafting. Trust & Will’s attorney-drafted plan starts From $1,499, and it names exactly these situations. Get a quote from a local estate planning attorney too. Our blended families page explains why that case in particular needs a lawyer.

You have no questions. Skip attorney access altogether. A complete plan from WillMaker or Trust & Will, signed correctly, does the job.

The refund rules for unused attorney time

Service Rule
LegalZoom attorney plans Within 30 days, unless you have had a consultation
Trust & Will attorney add-on Full refund within 14 days if no appointment was used
Rocket Lawyer Within 30 days of purchase, except where state law allows otherwise

If you bought a tier mainly for the documents, cancel the attorney plan before your first call and ask for the refund inside the window.

How to get the most from attorney access

  1. Make your documents first, so you can ask about specific clauses rather than in general.
  2. Write down your questions before the call. Thirty minutes goes fast.
  3. Ask whether the attorney is licensed in your state.
  4. Ask the questions only a lawyer can answer: whether a gift will work as you intend, how your state treats your spouse’s rights, what to do about property in another state.
  5. Diarise the renewal date of any plan you bought.
  6. Cancel what you will not use within the refund window.
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 ).
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 ).
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.

Questions people ask next

Is attorney review the same as a lawyer writing my will?

No. In most of these services you still make the documents yourself through a questionnaire, and the attorney answers questions or reviews them. Only an attorney-drafted plan, such as Trust & Will's custom plan, or your own estate planning attorney, means a lawyer writes the plan for your situation.

Does attorney review make my will more valid?

No. Validity comes from the will's contents being permitted by your state's law and from signing it correctly. A review can catch a choice that will not work as you intend, which is the real value.

Can I get a refund if I do not use the attorney?

At Trust & Will, the attorney add-on is refundable in full within 14 days if no appointment was used. At LegalZoom, attorney plan fees are refundable within 30 days unless you have had a consultation. Rocket Lawyer's terms allow refund requests within 30 days of purchase, except where state law allows otherwise.

Are the attorneys licensed in my state?

Trust & Will and Rocket Lawyer say their attorneys are independent and state-licensed or in-network; LegalZoom's plans use independent attorneys too. Ask for an attorney licensed in your state before relying on state-specific answers.

Sources

  1. LegalZoom last will page (tiers and attorney consultations)
  2. LegalZoom personal attorney plans
  3. LegalZoom legal plan contract
  4. Trust & Will plan comparison
  5. Trust & Will help centre: refund policy
  6. Rocket Lawyer pricing
  7. Rocket Lawyer help centre

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