How does online estate planning work?

An online service normally asks guided questions and uses the answers to prepare documents. The customer remains responsible for the information entered, the choices made, the applicable signing requirements, and separate steps such as funding a trust.

General information

• Answering a questionnaire is not the same as signing a valid document.
• A trust is not funded merely because the trust document exists.
• An online service can support document preparation without acting as the person's lawyer.

Service steps to consider

1. Gathering names, addresses, and asset details before starting.
2. Reviewing every completed document before signing.
3. Following the witness, notary, storage, and funding instructions for the person's state.

Quick check

• Do I know who I want to name?
• Do I know what I own and owe?
• Do I need advice about my own facts?

How Complete Wills can help

Complete Wills offers guided online questionnaires for will-based and trust-based estate plans. Customer support can explain the website, account steps, package features, and how to correct details. It cannot decide which legal plan fits a particular situation or give legal advice. Customer support can explain website features and questionnaire fields, but it cannot choose documents, people, distributions, or legal terms, interpret a completed document, or explain how the law applies to a person's facts. Only a separately engaged licensed attorney may provide legal advice within the attorney's engagement.

Important limits

• Estate-planning law is mainly state law. The correct document and signing rules can change by state.
• A licensed attorney can provide advice about blended families, disputed relationships, special-needs planning, tax issues, foreign property, business succession, or any question that requires advice about the person's facts. This article gives general information only. A licensed attorney can explain how state law applies to a specific estate plan or document.