Willful Review: Make Your Will Online in Seconds
There aren’t many documents in life that are more important than your will and despite the importance of maintaining a will, 57% of Canadians don’t have one.
Traditional wills take time, energy and cost an average of $1,000. Willful is an online service that aims to ease the stresses of preparing one of the most important documents you’ll need. Willful is fast, easy to use, cost-efficient and great for those looking to prepare a simple will and put that part of their life to rest.
And For a Limited Time: Get 10% off any Willful plan by using our exclusive link.
In This Article:
What Is Willful?
Willful was founded in 2017 with the goal to automate and modernize an important part of end-of-life planning. Willful simplified the will-making process by working with estate lawyers to develop an online service that generates a customized and enforceable will — all online. You create an account, answer questions in an online questionnaire, and at the end you’ll have a printable will ready for you to sign. You only pay for the services you need — so if your will is super simple, you could pay as little as $99, or if you have more complicated needs, or are filling the will out as a couple, there are additional tiers, which is still provide a hefty saving from the traditional costs.
Willful’s value lies in the fact that they make the cumbersome process of creating a will quick and painless.
How Much Will It Cost Me?
Willful’s services vary depending on the complexity of your legal needs. There are essentially three tiers of service available through Willful:
The Essentials
At a cost of $99, “The Essentials” plan is an affordable alternative to a traditional will prepared by a lawyer. With this plan, you can outline your basic wishes, layout how you’d like your estate distributed, declare your personal representative and beneficiaries, name the guardians of your children, and plan for their inheritance. You can make as many changes to this document as you’d like, and when you finish, you’ll have a complete version of your official Last Will and Testament.
Premium
The “Premium” plan is priced at $189 and includes everything in the essentials plan but also has provisions to help you create a plan for your property and finances in case of an emergency. You can also declare your wishes in the event of a medical emergency. You should choose this package if you plan to designate a beneficiary that isn’t your partner. When you finish the process of creating your premium will, you’ll have the following three documents:
- Last Will and Testament
- Power of Attorney for Emergency (Finance & Property)
- Healthcare Emergency Representative & Wishes
Family
Th Family plan comes with all the benefits of the “Premium” plan but is best suited for couples, as it provides a discount over two separate Premium plans. Just like with the “Premium” plan, you’ll end up with:
- Last Will and Testament
- Power of Attorney for Emergency (Finance & Property)
- Healthcare Emergency Representative & Wishes
Take advantage of an exclusive 10% discount by using our exclusive link.
Is It Safe?
In the age of constant hacks and data breaches, cybersecurity is an important consideration whenever entering sensitive information into a website. Willful uses AES-256 block-level storage encryption, which is an accepted form of encryption worldwide, so your information is safe and secure.
Is Willful Right for Me?
If you have a partner that you share financial or childcare responsibilities with, then you most likely need a will. Whether or not that will should be prepared by Willful boils down to how complicated your end of life planning is.
If your plans for your money and childcare are straightforward, Willful is an excellent option for a low-cost will. You’ll save time and money by going with Willful and end up with all of the legal documents you need to ensure your finances and childcare are handled the way you want.
If your legal situation is complex, for example, if you have properties in foreign countries, then your will may fall outside of Willful’s scope, and you’ll need to work with a legal professional. Building your will with a lawyer is more expensive, but they’ll have the expertise required to handle your requirements and ensure you end up with the documents that you need.
Finally, where you live will also affect whether Willful is the right choice for you. Currently, Willful available in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec. If you don’t live in one of these provinces, Willful isn’t an option for you at this time.
How Do You Write a Will With Willful?
The process of writing a will with Willful is extremely straightforward. Instead of asking friends and family for advice on a lawyer to contact, making an appointment, and taking off work, you can simply visit the Willful website and get started:
- Create an account on the Willful website; this lets you save and return to your will at a later date.
- Provide basic information like your full name, where you live, and your date of birth.
- Answer questions that will determine which plan you’ll choose, like whether you are married or living common-law and whether you own a home.
- Once your plan is selected, you’ll continue the questionnaire and answer questions about your final resting place, your power of attorney, the disposal of your various assets, and end of life care.
- Upon completing your questionnaire, you’ll submit payment.
- After you check out, you’ll receive your completed documents to print out.
- You must then print and sign your will in front of two witnesses for it to be legally binding.
Your will becomes a legally binding document once you print it, sign it, and have it witnessed by two people who are not related to you and are not your beneficiaries. After that, store your will in a safe place to ensure it’s available if it’s ever needed. If you need to make changes to your will, you can do so by logging into into Willful, making the changes, and then reprinting and signing the new copy. Make sure to destroy the old copy to prevent any confusion.
Writing an Online Will With Willful vs. Writing a Will With Earl, Your Lawyer…
The process of creating a will through Willful versus creating one with a lawyer are starkly different. Here’s how they compare:
Using Willful
Pros
- Faster: Willful’s process takes less than an hour from start to finish.
- Cost Efficient: Willful’s essential plan costs just $99
- More convenient: Complete your Willful will from the comfort of your couch, the process is entirely online.
Cons
- Not suitable for everyone: If you have a complex legal situation, Willful may not have the sophistication required to meet your needs.
- Not available in every province: Willful is only available to residents of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British Columbia. If you live in a different province, you can’t access Willful right now.
Using a Legal Professional
Pros:
- Highly specialized: If you have complex legal requirements, an experienced lawyer will ensure your will reflects your wishes.
Cons:
- High cost: Some lawyers charge as much as $1,000 to prepare a basic will – even if your legal needs are simple.
- More time: You’ll likely have to take time out of your busy workday to head to your legal appointment.
- Requires multiple appointments: You’ll need to return to your lawyer’s office after your initial meeting to pick up and sign your will.
Why Choose Willful?
The Willful platform is a fast, easy, and convenient way to formalize a simple and straightforward will. Using Willful to prepare your will is more cost-effective than going to a traditional lawyer and can be done from the comfort and convenience of your home.
The only part of Willful that isn’t convenient is the requirement to print and sign a copy of your will, and to find two witnesses to sign it. Unfortunately, that is a requirement for any will prepared in Canada, so you can’t skip this step no matter which method you decide to choose. If you’re unable to print off a copy yourself, Willful will actually print and ship your will to you (fees and terms/conditions may apply).
Our Bottom Line
If you belong to the half of Canadians currently living without a will, you live in a province where Willful is offered, and your legal situation is uncomplicated, there is no reason not to take advantage of this automated platform. You’ll save time, money, and hassle by using Willful, and as long as you don’t have any complicated wishes to execute, you’ll end the process with all of the documents you need to ensure your final wishes are carried out.
On top of all this goodness, don’t forget to sign up using our exclusive link to get a 10% discount off any Willful plan.
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