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People make a will to ensure that their loved ones are protected and the assets get distributed the way they intended. A will, also legally known as the last will and statement, is a legal document containing the specifications regarding the division of personal property and assets in the event of the person’s death.
The document also identifies an executor, who is usually responsible to ensure the division of property and assets according to the will. Sometimes a will may also contain details regarding the arrangement of care for minor children and pets.
Traditionally, people hired lawyers to make their wills. But nowadays, an online will maker is preferable to prepare the estate plan documents. Conventional lawyers cost thousands of dollars to draft a will, whereas online services can create the required documents for a fraction of that price.
If you have a large estate or need to make a complex will, you should work with an estate planning attorney. However, in most cases, an online service will be the way to go. There are many online services available to make a will these days.
LegalZoom and Quicken Willmaker by Nolo are two of the most popular online service providers. But if you are having a tough time deciding between the two and looking for a detailed LegalZoom vs Nolo comparison, you have come to the right place. We are going to present a detailed comparison between the two so that you can make an informed decision.
Overview of LegalZoom
LegalZoom was originally founded by lawyers and legal professionals to simplify legal affairs and make it easy for everyone. According to their website, all of their services are formulated by experienced attorneys. to ensure that their customers find the legal documents dependable.
LegalZoom also has a money-back satisfaction guarantee that says that customers who are unhappy with their services will have a choice to either ask them to rectify the situation or get a complete refund.
LegalZoom does not have a flashy website, but the focus is on services offered with explanations and detailed information. Apart from making wills, the company also provides legal services for business formation, trademarks, divorce, name change, patents, and copyrights.
If you want to know more about their services for will-making, you can visit the section under wills and living trusts. You will find the descriptions of the legal documents they can provide and information regarding living trusts, living wills, and power of attorney with a link to their education centre.
You can also download the free estate planning guide, which is a short and simple outline of their estate planning instruments. However, the guide lacks several essential details that are useful to make necessary choices to form a will.
Pros
- They provide guidance to verify and complete all the necessary legal forms and other legal documents.
- They offer a comprehensive and customized will.
- They provide free revisions of your will for 30 days and have it printed on archival paper.
- Their gold package for $99 offers free unlimited revisions for five years.
- They offer great value and several free services for their customers, including Multiple legal documents.
Cons
- There is a lot of upselling for additional services.
- You may have to buy higher plans to download blank legal documents from their website.
- It can be quite expensive to get some legal documents if you do not have a subscription plan.
- Limited customer service options.
Overview of Nolo
Quicken Willmaker by Nolo is one of the most popular online resources to create Wills and other estate planning documents. The first legal software by Nolo was released in the 1980s, which means they have accumulated a lot of experience and expertise as legal document makers.
You can use their software and online resources to produce any legal document to create a will, living trust, power of attorney, care directives, and many others. There are more than 35 documents included in their software aimed at helping people to plan the division of their estate in the event of death or incapacity.
The program also includes all the necessary forms and instructions that you may need to provide to an executive, such as checklists, letters of notification, legal notices, claim forms, and many others. You will also find forms related to authorizations, agreements, promissory notes, power of attorney, childcare, elder care, and pet care forms.
Pros
- You get an estimate of your expenditures at the beginning for your legal needs along with the freebies.
- You can access a free section with legal details related to unfortunate events like accidents or injuries.
- They offer a wide range of coverages and informational articles authored by experienced attorneys.
- More options for customer service with a toll-free number, live chat, and multiple languages
Cons
- You will need to download their software to avail their services.
- The website may seem outdated.
- There are limited online legal forms available on their website.
Both LegalZoom and Nolo are reliable will-making services that provide online resources to those who do not have any legal knowledge. These services allow you to handle your essay division without the need to hire expensive lawyers. If you need multiple legal documents and complex forms, LegalZoom‘s packages offer more value for money.
Even though the initial cost may seem a little higher, you will get competitive services that are worth the price. On the other hand, Nolo is great if you need to use the same legal document multiple times. You will also get more options for round-the-clock customer service.
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