Best Software Option
Seniors searching for the best software option for their estate planning needs should consider Quicken WillMaker & Trust. This comprehensive, budget DIY legal software ranks as the best software option on our list of the best elder law services.
Pricing for this user-friendly estate planning software starts at just under $100 for the starter package, and users can download the software directly from Nolo, the company behind Quicken WillMaker & Trust. The software uses a simple, interview-style process to provide users with step-by-step guidance, and the All Access package includes a 1-year subscription to Everplans, a secure, shareable digital vault for passwords, estate planning documents and final wishes.
Pros and Cons of Quicken WillMaker & Trust
Quicken WillMaker & Trust offers seniors a safe, simple and cost-effective way to draft and execute critical legal documents such as a will, financial power of attorney (POA), living trust or health care directive. Here’s a brief overview of the pros and cons of this estate planning software:
Pros:
- Includes all the basic estate planning documents needed by most seniors
- Gives users a template for outlining their wishes for their final arrangements, such as their place of burial or what type of memorial service they’d like
- Has a legal document to name a pet guardian for companion animals
Cons:
- Doesn’t cover digital assets, such as a seniors’ social media accounts and digital content
- Lacks support for charitable donations upon death
- Cannot be used by residents of Louisiana or the U.S. Territories
Overview of Quicken WillMaker & Trust
Nolo, previously known as Nolo Publishing, is the California-based company behind Quicken WillMaker & Trust that maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Established in 1971, Nolo has published thousands of how-to legal guides, DIY legal kits and software packages that cover basic legal issues. Nolo focuses on creating simple, affordable legal solutions for Americans. All Nolo products are carefully reviewed and regularly updated by a team of lawyers.
| |
Estate Planning Documents |
Access to an Attorney |
Software or Online Service |
Pricing Options |
| Quicken Willmaker & Trust |
Last will, revocable living trust, power of attorney, healthcare directive |
Not available |
Downloadable software |
One-time fee of $89 |
How Much Does Quicken WillMaker & Trust Charge for Elder Law Services?
Seniors can choose between three bundles: Starter, Plus and All Access. The Starter bundle is priced at $89 and includes will, health care directives and final arrangements documents. The Plus bundle costs $129, and it adds living trust, letters to survivors and a durable power of attorney to the Starter bundle.
The top-tier bundle, All Access, costs $199 for everything in the Plus bundle as well as a 1-year subscription to Everplans, a digital storage vault.
Eligibility, Plan Details and Other Information
Consumers can choose between three versions, also called bundles, of WillMaker & Trust that can be used nationwide except by residents of Louisiana and the U.S. territories. All versions are designed for family use, so multiple wills can be created under a single plan.
All plans include unlimited access to documents created in WillMaker for 1 year, which lets users create and revise their legal documents multiple times. Also included is lifetime access to the account and documents, but the documents cannot be revised under the lifetime access clause.
Starter
The Starter plan costs $89 and includes wills, health care directives and final arrangement instructions. This plan is designed for those who want to create a basic, low-cost online will and health directive documents.
Plus
The Plus plan costs $129 and includes everything that’s covered in the Starter plan, plus a living trust, letters to survivors and durable power of attorney.
All Access
The All Access plan is the top-tier bundle, and it includes all the documents that come with the Plus plan along with a 1-year subscription to Everplans.
Everplans is a secure online storage vault that can be used to store legal documents as well as digital assets such as passwords to social media accounts, e-commerce sites, online banking accounts and video content.
Who Should Consider Quicken WillMaker & Trust?
Seniors Who Want a Low-Cost Way to Complete Their Will
The Starter Plan costs $89 and includes a will, health care directives and final arrangements documents. By comparison, hiring a lawyer to draft a will can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000 or more.
Seniors Who Are Seeking an Alternative to Traditional In-Person Estate Planning
Older adults who prefer to manage their own affairs, particularly when it comes to ensuring their wishes are respected, may want to use a self-directed will creation service like Quicken WillMaker & Trust instead of working with a local lawyer.
Seniors With Digital Assets
Quicken WillMaker and Trust’s top-tier plan, All Access, includes a 1-year subscription and lifetime access to a secure data storage vault through Everplans. This digital vault can be accessed from any compatible computer, tablet or smartphone, making it easy for seniors to create and revise their documents at any time from anywhere. This digital storage vault can be used to save online banking and social media passwords, create funeral planning documents and leave directions to survivors.
What Are People Saying About Quicken WillMaker & Trust?
While Nolo promotes sales of Quicken WillMaker & Trust directly through the WillMaker website, seniors can also purchase the software through authorized resellers.
Out of nearly 150 reviews on a national e-commerce site, Quicken WillMaker & Trust earned an average ranking of 4 out of 5 stars. More than half the reviewers gave the software a 5-star rating, with a number of happy customers saying that they were impressed with how easy the software is to use. Others mentioned that they appreciated the in-depth guidance, and many consumers said that they would happily recommend this estate planning software to family and friends.
Those who were less than impressed with Quicken WillMaker & Trust complained that they didn’t understand that the documents created with the software still needed to be notarized to be legally binding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Elder Law?
Elder law is a specialized type of law that focuses on legal issues that impact seniors, such as long-term care planning, access to public benefits such as Social Security, guardianship and health insurance.
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What Is the Difference Between an Elder Law Attorney and an Estate Attorney?
Elder law attorneys focus solely on helping seniors make their final arrangements and navigate their long-term care services and protecting elders against fraud, exploitation and abuse. Estate attorneys work to ensure that an individual’s assets are dispersed in accordance with their final wishes after they pass. Estate lawyers also provide advice to clients of all ages who want to set up a trust, provide for a family member with a disability, or protect inner-generational family assets.
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Can An Elder Law Attorney Help With Wills?
Elder law attorneys specialize in helping seniors and their families plan for long-term care and make arrangements for the transfer of assets from the senior to their beneficiaries. These legal arrangements almost always include executing a will, regardless of the size of the seniors’ estate.
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What Is the Difference Between a Will and a Living Trust?
A will is a legal document that details how an individual would like their assets divided up after they pass, and a living trust is a legal arrangement for the dispersion of an individual’s assets prior to their passing. Unlike a will, which must be filed with the grantor’s local probate court where any member of the public can see it, a living trust can remain confidential because it does not need to be filed with the probate court.
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What Is Power of Attorney?
A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document that grants one or more individuals the power to represent the grantor. There are several types of POAs, including POAs for property and health decisions, and the grantor can decide under what circumstances their POA can be used.
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