{"id":869,"title":"Trust & Will Online Estate Planning: How It Works and What to Know","slug":"trust-will-online-estate-planning-how-it-works-and-what-to-know","lang":"en","description":"This article explains how Trust & Will helps users create state-specific wills and trusts through an online guided process. It covers plan features and pricing, powers of attorney and healthcare directives, trust benefits, attorney support, signing requirements, limitations, and when professional estate-planning advice may be appropriate.","content":"

Most adults know they should have a will, and many still put it off. According to CNBC Select's 2026 roundup, citing Trust & Will, 56% of U.S. adults have no estate planning documents. Online platforms promise to shrink that gap by replacing several lawyer meetings with a guided questionnaire. This guide explains how Trust & Will works, what each plan includes, and where to be careful.

What an Estate Plan Actually Contains

An estate plan is more than a will. According to Settled's estate planning overview, it brings together a will, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations, and each addresses a different decision. A durable power of attorney gives an agent authority over financial matters and can continue during incapacity. An advance directive records healthcare choices in advance, with a living will describing treatment preferences and a healthcare proxy naming someone to decide when you cannot. Beneficiary designations on retirement plans, life insurance, and payable-on-death accounts generally take priority over a will, so they need regular review.

How Trust & Will Works

Trust & Will is an online platform that produces state-specific wills and trusts. According to AttorneyReview's 2026 analysis, it converts a process that usually means multiple attorney meetings into a guided questionnaire completed at your own pace. You answer plain-language questions, the platform assembles the documents for your state, and it explains the steps needed to make them legally valid, including signing and notarization.

According to CNBC Select's Trust & Will review, the prompts ask about your assets, how you want them distributed, and guardians for children or pets, along with funeral preferences and healthcare directives. An AI assistant answers simple questions, and attorney support can be added for more involved help.

The Plans and What Each Includes

According to Wills & Trusts Guide, figures current as of June 2026, the Will Plan runs $199 for an individual or $299 for a couple. It includes a last will, a living will, a financial power of attorney, a HIPAA authorization, and an advance healthcare directive. The Trust Plan is $499 individual or $599 couple and adds a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, a schedule of assets, and a certification of trust.

CNBC reports several extras: attorney support is a $299 one-time fee, printing and shipping is $25, and young adults 18 to 26 can create a will, power of attorney, and healthcare directives for $69. Trusts are not available in Louisiana. Reviewers disagree on updates. CNBC describes free updates with basic membership, while Wills & Trusts Guide notes a small annual renewal fee of $19 for wills and $39 for trusts after the first year. Confirm the current terms at checkout.

Why a Trust Instead of a Will

A will directs assets through probate, the court-supervised process. According to Memorial Merits, probate can run into thousands in expenses, drag on for months, and become part of the public record. CNBC notes that a trust lets beneficiaries receive assets more quickly, without the expense, exposure, or delays associated with probate. A trust does require correctly retitling assets into it, which is where many do-it-yourself plans stumble.

Where Online Platforms Fall Short

Online tools work best for straightforward situations. Estate planning is governed by state law, and signing and witness rules vary. Complicated circumstances, such as blended families, business ownership, special-needs beneficiaries, or estates near tax thresholds, usually deserve a licensed estate planning attorney. Even for simple estates, a document that is signed or witnessed incorrectly can be challenged.

Alternatives Worth Comparing

CNBC's roundup lists other options, including Quicken WillMaker & Trust, which allows downloadable software without a subscription and is praised for health care directives and durable powers of attorney, and Rocket Legal, which charges by subscription.

FAQs

Does Trust & Will include a power of attorney and healthcare directive?
Yes. Reviews indicate both the Will and Trust plans include them.

Are the documents legally valid?
They are state-specific and valid when signed and witnessed correctly, according to reviewers, so follow the signing instructions closely.

Is attorney help available?
Yes, as an optional one-time add-on.

Can I create a trust in every state?
No. Trusts are not available in Louisiana.

Should I use an attorney instead?
For complex estates or unusual family situations, yes. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your state.

Conclusion

Trust & Will can make a first estate plan approachable, packing a will or trust with powers of attorney and healthcare directives into a guided process. The details still matter: confirm the current fees, follow your state's signing rules, keep beneficiary designations up to date, and bring in an attorney when your situation is anything but simple.

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