One of the most important documents you’ll ever sign is a will. Not only can it govern what happens to your assets when you’re gone, but in many cases, it will affect your family and loved ones.
And if you don’t have a will, you could be risking the financial future of your family and children.
For those that don’t have wills, money expert Clark Howard says, “The most common answer I hear from people is, ‘I don’t have anything. Why would I do a will?’ You’ve got a kid or two or three or whatever. That’s why you have a will.”
“If you don’t have a will, the state decides who raises your kids. No, no, no. You want to make those decisions,” Clark says. “If you don’t have a lot of assets, you can do one of those software wills.”
In this article, we’ll show you how to create a will online for free.
There are several platforms that allow you to make free online wills, including WillMaker, LegalZoom.com and Fabric by Gerber Life (MeetFabric.com).
How To Make a Free Online Will
Because I have a fairly simple financial situation, I decided to create a will for free. Using Fabric by Gerber, I was able to create an online will in about 5 minutes. Here are the steps:
Confirm Your Financial Situation
To get started, go to meetfabric.com/wills and click on “Get Your Will.” On the page it takes you to, you’ll need to confirm that an online will is for you by selecting the boxes that describe your financial situation.
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
Once that’s completed, hit the “Start Now” button.
Fill in Some Personal Details
On an online form, fill out your name, address and other information. Alternatively, you can also set up a will for your spouse, but this is optional.
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
Designate Guardians, Beneficiaries and More
Now it’s time to add the names of those who would be the guardians for your children as well as any executors of your will.
You’ll be asked if you want to email the executor(s) of your online will. This is optional.
You’ll also be asked if you want to share a summary of your will with any email contacts. This is optional as well.
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
Detail Your Final Arrangements
How do you want to be buried? Do you want your body donated to science? Now it’s time to spell out what you want to happen when it comes to any funeral arrangements and afterward. Note: Fabric says this section cannot be made legally binding.
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
This is also where you can request to have certain songs played at your ceremony and more. “Ask for a tree to be planted where your ashes will be spread, or have people donate to an organization of your choice instead of sending flowers for the funeral,” the site says.
Make It Legally Binding
After you finish filling out the will, Fabric will email you the steps to make it legally binding. One of which is to sign the printed document and have it witnessed by two people and notarized.
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
Review Your Free Online Will
To finish its preparation, you’ll have the option to send a personalized message to the two witnesses and review your will before you make it official.
Download Your Free Online Will
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
Screenshot via meetfabric.com
You’ll then receive an email confirming the creation of your free online will. Included will be a link to download your will.
In my case, Fabric emailed me a 19-page document, which included my will and a page that can be signed by a notary. Of course, you can also forward it to your loved ones for safekeeping.
That’s it! Once you get it notarized, remember to store your will someplace safe.
But again, before you create an online will, you should be certain that that’s going to meet your needs. Here’s how to tell:
Should I Use an Online Will or an Estate Planning Attorney?
Clark says, “If you have a pretty simple financial situation and you just want to protect your spouse or so — often people are living with someone they’re not married to — you’ll want to have a will that says what you want to have happen.”
For that situation, Clark says an online will is fine and will be legally binding if you set it up properly.
“On the other hand, if you have extensive assets or you have a complicated family situation, blended family, anything like that, you need a lawyer to do a will and not just any old lawyer, but a lawyer where their specialty of law is wills, estates and trusts,” Clark says.
Read more about this: Should I use an online will maker or an attorney?
Final Thoughts
Clark says you really need to create a will and doing so online only takes several minutes.
If you have a complex financial situation, an online will is not the way to go. Clark recommends you hire an estate planning attorney for that. But if your financial situation is fairly simple, an online will is just fine.
