Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What makes this web site different from other web sites and do-it-yourself kits?

For an informative and eye-opening comparison of the MyWill™ Legal Will service to do-it-yourself legal will kits, read about it here. 

What makes us different from other web sites and kits?  Quite frankly, there is no comparison.  Here are just a few reasons why:

Other web sites and do-it-yourself kits simply do not compare.  Also, take a look at the news article warning about the use of do-it-yourself will kits.

“I used your service to write a Will for my dear wife Christine who passed away this year. The Will was easy to fill out and very straightforward. I never had one problem arise because of the Will.”
--- Keith Sutton, Surrey, B.C.   Read more testimonials

Do I need a Will?

Here are a few common reasons that people indicate there is no point in writing a Will:

Quite clearly, there is never a situation where a Will is unnecessary.  In many cases, this can be a simple declaration of your wishes for how your estate should be distributed, and this can be achieved by working through the MyWill™ wizard on this web site.  You should draft a Will while you are still young and healthy, even if you don't feel that your assets are substantial.  There is absolutely no benefit in waiting until you are older.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people do not have a Will. Some people feel that they do not need one because of one of the above reasons.  Others find it to be too time consuming to get organized, find a lawyer, arrange appointments and attend meetings during their already busy schedules. Many feel that the lawyers' fees surrounding the creation and maintenance of a Will are too expensive.  

Whatever your reason may be, you should know that it is extremely important that you have an up to date Will. If you die without a Will, the courts will decide how your estate is distributed, and this may not be in the best interests of your loved ones. It is impossible for us to know how your estate will be distributed, but we do know that if you have a Will, then the decisions are in your hands.

To die without a Will is irresponsible and places a tremendous burden on your survivors.  Do not put it off any longer.

Can I make a joint Will?

A joint Will is a single document, signed by "co-testators" (usually spouses), intended to reflect the wishes of both parties. This is generally considered to be an extremely bad idea, and probably worse than having no Will at all. Often, the intent of a joint Will is to declare that each person would leave everything to the surviving partner, and in the event that both partners are victims of a common disaster, everything would go to their children. The problem is that it is unclear whether a surviving partner can revoke a joint Will and many messy legal cases have arisen as a result of this confusion. 

In short, do not make a joint Will, as there could be problems if either party changes their mind, or wishes to amend the Will.  There may also be problems if the surviving spouse tries to make any changes to a joint Will, as they may be bound to the original terms.  Furthermore, there is no reason to create a joint Will, as there is no disadvantage to drawing up a separate Will for each partner.

Is the MyWill™ service suitable for me?

Although the MyWill™ question-and-answer wizard is applicable for most cases, there are circumstances where it is advisable to seek legal advice.  In particular:

In the above situations and in other more complex situations (the above is not an exhaustive list), it would not be advisable to rely on the output of the MyWill™ wizard as an accurate expression of your wishes.  Instead, you should consult with an attorney in these cases.

Can I also create a Power of Attorney or Living Will?

Yes.  A Power of Attorney (also known as a Power of Attorney for Finances) and Living Will (also known as a Power of Attorney for Health Care), are very important documents that should be created and updated at the same time as your Will.

After you have tried our Will creation service and have decided to purchase a Will, you are given the option of also purchasing a Power of Attorney and/or Living Will.

Should I look at any other estate planning tools?

Some people may benefit from more extensive estate planning techniques, such as: setting up trusts, limiting probate, and tax reduction schemes.  However, these usually require detailed (and often expensive) professional guidance.  Quite often, younger people and people with straightforward plans for their estate do not pursue the creation of extensive estate plans. Others postpone extensive estate planning for later in life, when their financial and family circumstances settle down.  Nevertheless, regardless of your age or your financial situation, it is imperative to have a Will.  Detailed estate planning can come later.

Why should I trust you with my personal information?

First of all, storing any of your personal information on this web site is purely optional.  If you do choose to store your information here, then rest assured that all of your information is private, safe and secure.  Your information is so highly encrypted that nobody has access to this information other than yourself and your trusted "Keyholders®" using their randomly generated personal key.  Even the owners and administrators of this web site are not able to access your private information due to the software design and encryption methods used. 

How secure is it?

This web site uses state-of-the-art digital encryption and security technologies to protect your privacy and security.  All data passing from your computer to this web site is authenticated and encrypted using 128-bit "SSL encryption".  This is the most advanced level of encryption available today, and it means that any information sent from your computer is scrambled in a way which makes it completely unintelligible if intercepted.  When you are on a secure section within this web site, a padlock will appear at the bottom of your web browser's screen.  This is your assurance that the encryption is in place and that you are communicating across a secure link. 

Furthermore, we use an industry standard high security streaming-encryption algorithm known as "RSA" to encrypt all of your information before it is stored online.  RSA is a public-key cryptosystem developed by MIT professors Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman. To give you a feeling for the level of security provided by this encryption, it has been estimated that with the most efficient algorithms known to date, it would take a computer operating at 1 million instructions per second over 300 quintillion years to break the encryption. That's several trillion times longer than the age of the Earth. 

Can my information get destroyed or lost?

All of the data you choose to store here is securely stored in a highly encrypted format on database servers in the USA. To protect against catastrophic data loss, daily backups are performed on each of our servers to locations in Canada and the U.S. Hence, if any one of our servers experienced technical difficulties, your data would not be at risk.

Furthermore, physical protection of our primary systems includes:

As you can see, we take the security and privacy of your information very seriously.

How much does this service cost?

The MyWill™ legal will creation service steps you through a simple question and answer wizard, formats your answers into a readable format, and produces a legal Will that has been customized based on your answers and on your local jurisdiction.  If you wish, you can choose to store your information securely online in order to make unlimited updates, at no extra charge.  You can also choose to designate your own personal "Keyholders®", who with their unique ID can unlock your Will at the appropriate time.

The complete pricing structure is available on our Prices page.

What if I am not satisfied with my purchase?

We are proud to offer a 30-day, no questions asked, 100% money back guarantee on all payments.  If you do not feel that you have received valuable information and value for your money, we will gladly refund 100% of your payment.

Do you accept personal checks or money orders?

Yes, we accept all major credit cards, as well as personal checks or money orders.  If you are making a purchase, you will be provided with further instructions regarding your options.

Is my credit card information safe?

Absolutely.  Your credit card information is only used for purchases and it is never stored by us. Furthermore, all credit card purchases are through a secure gateway which protects all of your transactions by powerful Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology and Private Communication Technology (PCT) security standards supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and other popular browsers. SSL encrypts your credit card number, name, address, and telephone number before they travel over the Internet, and this information is never stored, nor is it recorded by the secure site. This makes doing business over the Internet as secure as purchasing by telephone or handing your credit card to a waiter in a restaurant.

Why should I choose to store my Will online?

Storing your Will online on our secure server is a good idea for a number of reasons:

What is a "Keyholder®"?

A "Keyholder®" is someone that you decide to trust with the power to access your information (such as the location of your Will, or your list of assets, or an signed version of your Will) when the time is right.  Specifying Keyholders® is optional.  Each Keyholder® is assigned a private, secure, randomly-generated "Keyholder® ID" which they will use to login and access your Will when it is eventually required.  A Keyholder® is expected to login only after you have passed away.  Security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized premature access to your Will are also available and are fully configurable by you.  More information will be provided to you in the MyKeyholders™ service, if you choose to store your Will online.

There is simply no other company that provides such a complete and convenient service to their customers. For more information, read about The Keyholder® Advantage.

How will you make sure that my "Keyholders®" don't access my information prematurely?

Your first line of defence is to select your Keyholders® wisely.  Most likely, you will choose members of your family or close friends whom you trust to protect your privacy.  You will not want to choose someone who might be so curious about your wishes that they would be tempted to access them before they are needed.  However, even in this case, there are security measures in place that will alert you to unauthorized access if you so desire.

In particular, any one of your Keyholders® is able to request access to your Will simply by logging in at PartingWishes.com as a Keyholder® using the randomly generated secure key that you communicated to them.  As soon as they login or request to access your Will, you will be sent an email explaining which Keyholder® is attempting to access your information.  As a member, you can configure a time period for each of your services which provides you with a window when you can deny access to this information.  If you do not deny access to the Keyholder®, then your Will will be unlocked for that Keyholder® and they can view and print your Will.

How long will it take to create my Will?

This really depends on the complexity of your Will.  If you are leaving everything to one person, and you have no other dependents or family members, particularly from previous marriages, your Will could be very simple and quick to create, perhaps taking just a few minutes. 

However, this service also allows you to create quite complex Wills that require a great deal more thought and consideration.  In this case, we would also recommend that you have your Will reviewed by one of our professional lawyers, which will be a longer overall process, but can still be done very conveniently from our web site.  

Note that you do not need to complete your Will in one sitting.  You can answer a couple of questions and then store these wishes securely online until you have made more decisions and have a few more minutes to answer additional questions.  If you prefer, you can spend many weeks or months making unlimited updates until you are happy with your final results, at which point you could have your final copy reviewed and signed.

How do I make a Will that I create on this web site into a legal document?

In order to make a Will that you create on this web site into a legal document, you should first print it and read it thoroughly. Make sure that it accurately reflects your wishes and that you understand everything that is contained in the document. Once you are happy that it reflects your wishes, you must sign your Will in the presence of at least two witnesses, and these witnesses must also sign the Will, in the presence of the "testator" (yourself) and in the presence of each other. You and the witnesses should also initial each page, so that it is not possible to alter any pages after the Will has been signed. More information about this procedure and the restrictions on who can be witnesses is included at the end of the MyWill wizard.

After you have passed away, the executor of your Will must prove that your Will was signed properly. In order to do this, at least one of the witnesses must confirm under oath that the Will was signed and witnessed correctly. Another more convenient approach, however, is to have the witnesses sign under oath (in the presence of a Notary Public) an "affidavit" which can then be appended to the Will. This is an optional step, but it eliminates the need for the witnesses to testify in court at the probating of the Will. Again, a detailed description of this procedure is included at the end of the MyWill wizard.

Why do I need to make updates to my Will?

It is important to review your Will every few years and after any new financial or personal events, such as a significant business arrangement, a wedding, the birth of a child, a divorce or if you move outside of your state, province or country.

You can choose to have a 1-year, 10-year, 25-year or Life membership, during which time you can make as many updates or amendments to your Will as you wish at no extra charge.  More details regarding the membership packages available can be found when making your purchase.

Why are my changes not being reflected when I view my Will?

If you make changes to your Will, but you can only see your "old" Will when you view it online, this is because you have "caching" enabled in your web browser.  In certain circumstances, this causes your browser to access a temporary "cached" version of your Will from your hard drive instead of retrieving the latest one from our web server.  If you are using Internet Explorer, you should clear your cache by selecting Tools > Internet Options > Temporary Internet Files > Delete Files.  If you are using a different web browser, check your browser's documentation for instructions on how to clear the cache.

Do you offer legal advice?

We are not a law firm.  We do not offer legal advice.  If your situation is complex, or you have any questions regarding your Will, we strongly recommend that you talk to a practicing lawyer in your area.

Do you offer custom Wills?

We are unable to draw up a Will specifically for you, as the courts would regard this as entering into a “client-attorney relationship”.  In doing this we would be guilty of “Unauthorized Practice of Law,” as legal advice can only be given by a person licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction.  This is a serious offense.  However, you do not need to have a lawyer to create your Will, and on this web site we give you the tools to create a Will based on your family situation and your plans for your estate.  Furthermore, the legal wording contained in all of the Wills that can be created here have been produced and reviewed by lawyers.  By using our intuitive question and answer wizard you will be able to create a legal Will that satisfies your requirements.  In addition, we offer an optional service which allows you have your completed Will reviewed by one of our lawyers, who is able to check for consistency and completeness within your final document.

Does it matter where I live?

We have worked with lawyers in the United States to ensure that the legal document created by the MyWill™ service is up to date with the laws in all of the states in the United States, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.  Hence, our services can be used to generate legal documents in any state in the United States with the exception of Louisiana.

If you have any doubts about the legal standing of any documents in your jurisdiction, feel free to seek legal counsel in your area to have your documents reviewed.

Will I end up on a mailing list?

We absolutely do not share information about our customers with any other organization.  We have no affiliate companies, partners or interests in any other organizations.  You will not receive any other mailings based on your use of our services.

If you choose to store your information online, then you will be given an option to receive occasional email updates from us regarding any new services that become available, special offers available only to our customers, or any other information that we feel might be of interest to our customers.  These will likely be sent out once every few months.  You can of course choose not to receive any emails and we will not send you any information unless requested to do so. 

In accordance with our very strict privacy policies, we will never send any postal mail or email to any of your Keyholders® outside of your wishes, nor will we ever attempt to contact any of your Keyholders® in any way.  Furthermore, we will not resell, trade, lease or rent to third parties any personally identifiable information about you or about any of your designated Keyholders®. 

How do I get the 40% discount for my spouse/partner?

You will have been provided with a Reference Code in your order confirmation email. If you no longer have this email or did not receive it (likely due to spam blocking software), you can obtain your Reference Code by logging in and clicking on the link at the top of your member home page that says "Your spouse/partner discount (40% off any membership) is still available".  When your spouse/partner steps through the checkout process, copy and paste this code into the “Reference Code” box and the 40% discount will be automatically applied. 

Note that each membership is separate --- each person must join separately and create their own account.

When I try to login I get a "Page not accessible" error, or get stuck on a “Leaving so soon?” page

This is an occasional problem caused by our use of session cookies. It most commonly occurs when multiple browser windows are open and you log out of one window. It can also occur when two people with different accounts are sharing the same computer. The resolution is to close all browser windows between sessions. Then re-open the browser and login. If this does not resolve the problem, then please contact us.

How do I renew my membership?

To renew your membership, you should login to your account by clicking on "Member Login" on the home page, or by going to http://www.PartingWishes.com and clicking on "Already a Member?" located on the right hand side of the page. Enter your UserID and the Password you selected when you created your account. Once you have logged in, click on the MyAccount™ service and then select the option to renew from the drop down list of upgrade options. From here you can step through the payment process.

I have paid. How do I now access my Will?

First, you should check to see that you have an account with us.  You may have received confirmation of this in an email from PartingWishes.com.  If you have a User ID and Password, then you can login to your account by clicking on "Member Login" on the home page, or by going to http://www.PartingWishes.com and clicking on "Already a Member?" located on the right hand side of the page.  Once you have logged in, scroll down to click on the MyWill™ service, and from here you can click on "View or Print your Will" or "Download your Will (PDF file)".  If you have paid and do not have a User ID or Password, contact us by sending an email to support@uslegalwills.com, and we can set up an account for you.

Can you send me a Will Kit?

We do not mail out Will kits.  We believe that blank forms are a bad idea and usually lead to legal problems.  There used to be a kit advertised widely on television and radio but this was heavily criticized and is no longer available.  We have developed a truly interactive service that generates a custom document based on your answers to a series of questions.  This document can then be printed, signed and witnessed to become your legal Will.  You can also store this document online and make updates to reflect changes in your personal or financial situation.  Each time an update is made, the document must be printed, signed and witnessed and the previous document should be destroyed.

How can I get more information?

There is a considerable amount of information included in the on-line help of the MyWill™ wizard.  This will answer most of the common questions regarding the steps included in creating your own Will.

For more information about our services and company, you can browse this web site, visit the www.PartingWishes.com web site, or send an email to support@uslegalwills.com.  We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.