Originally published: October 8, 2014 | Last updated: June 30, 2025
TL;DR: Lawyers frequently discourage people from using online Will services, but most of their warnings are misleading or outright false. No law requires a lawyer to create a valid Will. Online Wills cannot be challenged simply because they were created online. Courts accept them equally. An interactive online Will service like USLegalWills.com uses the same software that lawyers use — it just gives you direct access at a fraction of the cost.
The internet contains ongoing discussions about whether people should make their own Wills through online services. The legal community faces an overwhelming flood of false information which lawyers actively spread throughout their professional environment.
To be clear: we are defending interactive online Will services like the one at USLegalWills.com , not blank-form DIY Will kits from office supply stores.
We have identified ten major incorrect warnings which contain false information about our service while we present the actual facts which prove these warnings wrong.
1. “You Must Use a Lawyer”
The claim: In a non-emergency situation, you MUST get your Will written through a lawyer.
The fact: There is nothing written in any legal statute decreeing that a lawyer must be used to create a legal Last Will and Testament.
2. “A Lawyer Will Certify That You Are of Sound Mind”
The claim: By signing the Will in the presence of a lawyer, they will certify that you are of sound mind.
The fact: Lawyers do not receive psychiatric training. The short 20-minute meeting between them and you will not enable them to identify your mental condition.
3. “An Online Will Can Be Challenged”
The claim: A Will created online is vulnerable to legal challenges.
The fact: Any Will can be challenged, but there are only five specific legal grounds for a successful challenge:
- The testator lacked testamentary capacity
- The testator was under undue influence or pressure
- The Will was created fraudulently
- The Will was not signed correctly
- No provision was made for dependents
A Will cannot be challenged on the basis that it was created using an online service.
4. “It Doesn’t Take Into Account Different State Laws”
The claim: Online services use a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores state-specific laws.
The fact: This is a reasonable claim against blank-form Will kits, but not against interactive online services.
5. “You Won’t Sign It Correctly”
The claim: Each state has its own particular signing requirements that you will not understand.
The fact: All states require that the document is signed in the presence of two witnesses who have nothing to gain from the contents of the Will. If you do this, the signing requirements of every state in the U.S. have been met. The witnesses cannot be beneficiaries in the Will, nor should they be the spouse of a beneficiary. We also recommend that each page is initialed by you and your witnesses.
6. “You May Miss Something Important”
The claim: Without a lawyer, you will forget critical provisions.
The fact: You are actually less likely to miss something when you use an online Will service. Here is why:
- You can take your time. USLegalWills.com gives you up to one year to make sure the document reflects your wishes. In a 20-minute lawyer meeting, you may forget things.
- The service prompts you. The interactive service system makes you evaluate every appointment and choice which includes digital assets and pets and charitable bequests that you might have forgotten to tell your lawyer about.
- Updates are easy and free. If you remember something a week later, you can update immediately without paying additional fees.
7. “You Wouldn’t Take Out Your Own Appendix”
The claim: Writing a Will without a lawyer is comparable to performing surgery on yourself.
The fact: This comparison is nonsensical. Writing your own Will, in most cases, is more straightforward than filing your taxes.
8. “You Get What You Pay For”
The claim: A cheap online Will cannot be as good as an expensive one from a lawyer.
The fact: People come to us having been quoted up to $1,500 for a Will – more commonly around $800.
See our detailed cost comparison: How Much Does a Will Cost?
9. “Everybody Messes These Wills Up”
The claim: Non-lawyers always make mistakes when creating their own Will.
The fact: The vast majority of people create a perfectly well-drafted Will using our service. The well-publicized mistakes with DIY Wills almost always involve blank-form kits – like the case of a senior, Ann Aldrich, who attempted to list all of her assets in a blank form without including a residual beneficiary. This type of mistake is impossible with an interactive online service like USLegalWills.com, because the service guides you through every scenario and ensures nothing is overlooked.
10. “The Courts Do Not Accept an Online Will”
The claim: Probate courts will reject a Will made using an online service.
The fact: A Will created using USLegalWills.com looks exactly the same as one created through a lawyer’s office.
The Bottom Line
People naturally develop a fear of legal matters but the rules exist to defend your rights.
Related reading:
- The Online Will – What It Really Means
- Write Your Own Will – 10 Reasons Why It Makes Sense
- A Simple Will – How Much Should I Pay?
- Comparing LegalZoom with USLegalWills
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets, and has contributed to articles in The New York Times, NY Metro Parents, U.S. News & World Report, and other leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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