Today, a growing number of people opt to make their wills and other estate planning documents online instead of visiting a lawyer. For one thing, it’s significantly cheaper. For instance, you can easily create an online will for under $50, while a will drafted by a lawyer will cost at least $200. Secondly, online wills take 30 minutes or less to create and you can do it without leaving your home, which is incredibly convenient for people who don’t have access to a vehicle or suffer physical ailments that make it difficult for them to get out of the house. You can even create an online will while you’re at work or on the go. Plus, online will making services have become very sophisticated in recent years and unless you have a very complex estate, a will you create online is no worse than an expensive document created by a lawyer during an in-person appointment.
Nowadays, there are over a dozen online will-making websites on the market, so choosing a will-making service that suits your needs and preferences can be a challenge. In this article, we will compare Nolo and LegalZoom, which are two of the most popular services, but you can read detailed reviews of all online will makers on our website.
LegalZoom vs Nolo: an Overview
LegalZoom and Nolo are two of the largest and oldest online will-making services that are active today. LegalZoom was founded in 2001 and the company now generates over $200 million in revenue every year. Nolo was established in 1971 by two legal aid lawyers and has sold over 1.7 million products over the last fifty years. LegalZoom and Nolo are both accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. Both companies provide basic estate planning products, including a living will, a last will and testament, a living trust, and medical and financial powers of attorney. In addition to helping people create legal documents online, both Nolo and LegalZoom also connect their customers with a wide network of lawyers who can check documents that they created using online services or help with other legal matters.
| Our editorial rating | 98.6% | 89.7% |
|---|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ (Accredited) | A (Accredited) |
| Established | 1971 | 2001 |
| Attorney Support | ||
| Guarantee | Money-back guarantee | 60-day money-back guarantee |
| Platform | ||
| States Serviced | All except LA | All states |
| Official website | http://www.nolo.com/ | https://www.legalzoom.com/ |
Nolo vs LegalZoom Cost Comparison
The flagship product sold by Nolo is their estate planning software called Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust. This software is available in three packages. The Starter package costs $99 per year and it allows you to create a will, a living will, a document that lists your final arrangements, and a medical power of attorney. The Plus package costs $139 and it includes everything in the Starter package along with a durable POA, a letter to survivors, and a living trust. The All Access package costs $209 and it includes everything in the Plus package as well as a 12-month subscription to secure digital document storage. You can also take advantage of the fact that if one member of your immediate family buys Nolo software, the rest of the family can use it free of charge. Additionally, Nolo lets you buy some of their documents one at a time.
When it comes to LegalZoom, their customers can purchase separate documents as well. Each of these documents comes with free revisions for 30 days. You can also opt for their comprehensive individual documents, which include a 2-week subscription to attorney consultations. Finally, customers who need to make several documents can purchase a will or trust-based package that includes multiple documents at a reduced price. These packages also come with unlimited document changes and free legal consultations for 12 months.
| Last Will and Living Trust cost | $59.99 – Online Will $99 – Starter Package | $89 – Basic Last Will $99 – Comprehensive Last Will $249 – Last Will Estate Plan |
|---|---|---|
Living Trust cost | $139 – Plus Package $209 – All Access Package | $279 – Basic Living Trust $299 – Comprehensive Living Trust $399 – Living Trust Estate Plan |
| Additional Estate Services | +6 more
| +3 more
|
| Attorney Support | Nolo can match you with a licensed attorney from their network to help resolve any legal issue. | All Comprehensive Documents and Estate Plans include a subscription to free attorney consultations. |
| Promo | 10% off Use Code WILL20 | No promo |
| Try NOLO | Try LegalZoom |
Living will
Medical Power of Attorney
Financial Power of Attorney
Will Codicil
Amendment to Living Trust
Revocation of Living Trust
Living will
Medical Power of Attorney
Financial Power of Attorney
Advantages of Nolo Over LegalZoom
Nolo is the only will maker that offers will-making software – all other online services are cloud-based. If you don’t like using cloud-based services and instead prefer to download and install software onto your computer, Nolo’s product is perfect for you.
Nolo offers a variety of packages that provide a lot of value. For instance, their Plus package includes a will, medical and durable powers of attorney, living will, living trust, a final arrangements document, and a letter to survivors for just $139. Nolo customers can create new documents and update existing forms for one year after purchasing a package. On the other hand, LegalZoom doesn’t offer packages that contain both last will & testament documents and living trust documents, and their services and packages are priced significantly higher.
In addition to providing basic estate planning forms, Nolo’s software includes checklists, forms for providing instructions to the will executor, legal notices, claim documents, two e-books about estate planning, and much more. Even with the Starter package, you can get access to all the documents you need to make sure your assets and dependents are well taken care of after you pass away. Plus, you can safely store your documents in a digital vault if you purchase the All Access package.
Nolo’s software can be used by several people under different accounts, which means you can get even more value if several people in your household need estate planning services.
Get Started With Nolo
Advantages of LegalZoom Over Nolo
Unlike Nolo, LegalZoom is a cloud-based service, so you don’t need to download or install any programs to your computer. You can also access your account from different devices, which can be very convenient for some people.
LegalZoom sells both individual documents and document packages. If you buy a will-based or trust-based estate planning document package, you will get free attorney support for one year. You can also choose to purchase individual comprehensive estate planning documents that come with a 14-day subscription to attorney consultations. Keep in mind that you’ll have to cancel the subscription when you no longer need it; otherwise, your card will be charged at the end of the subscription period and the subscription will be renewed. If you’re not happy with the service you’ve received from LegalZoom, you can request a refund and get your money back within 60 days of making the purchase.
LegalZoom’s website features a live chat that you can use to ask questions as you’re filling out your will. This feature allows you to contact customer support staff to get instant answers to all the questions you may have. Once you complete the payment process, you will also be able to get in touch with licensed lawyers for questions on legal specifics.
Get Started With LegalZoom
Concluding Words About Nolo vs LegalZoom
When selecting any type of service or product, each person has their own priorities. While both Nolo and LegalZoom offer excellent products, if you want to create a reliable estate planning package that offers several documents on a budget, we recommend going with Nolo. This service allows you to create a last will and testament, living will, healthcare POA, and numerous other documents for just $99, which is an amazing deal that’s hard to come by in this niche. You can also choose one of the more expensive packages if you want to take advantage of additional features and documents. Finally, you will get an even better deal if your family members also use the software to create an estate planning document package.
However, if you already know for certain that you will need to consult an attorney about your will or other estate planning documents, you may be better off choosing LegalZoom, as their packages already include lawyer consultations.
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