The advent of Covid-19 increased our reliance on digitalization. In this digital world, many physical things have changed to the digital version. Schools and colleges conduct classes online, offices have allowed work from home, important meets happen online, and online stores are flourishing. Even Wills and estate can be drafted online in this era.
An Online will is also known as a digital will or E-will. Making one is cheaper as compared to making one with the help of a lawyer or attorney in pen and paper mode. Creating an online Will saves a lot of trouble of going back and forth to the lawyer; you can make one online from the comfort of your home and do it in less fifteen minutes.
Wills and estate are essential for an individual. No one wants to leave the world without making sure that their loved ones are in a safe position. If you are a person who does not want to pass away leaving your loved ones in an awful state, keep reading to the end. This blog will provide you the required guidance to make an online Will.
What is an online will?
The question that often arises: Is an online will legal? Well, an online will is a legalized will that is just as same as the will drafted by a professional lawyer. Many online platforms offer services to create an online will without the help of any professionals; however, the platforms do provide individual guidance to a certain level.
Most online service platforms that help an individual draft a will might ask for some information. The information includes
- A list of assets & properties
- The beneficiary’s name who will be entitled to the property once the individual passes away
- The guardian’s name who will foster for any minor children (if the individual has one)
- Any of the individual’s pet (even though they are considered family, they still fall on the list of properties and assets, hence, needs a guardian)
- The name of the executor
Most sites asking for this information must draft a will on the individual’s behalf. Hence, it is crucial to go to a platform with the reputation of drafting an online will because once the will is put together and is compliant with the individual’s state’s estate laws, the Will shall be considered a legal and a valid document.
Why is an Online Will important in 2022?
As mentioned earlier, the world is evolving, and advancing. Most things that none of us imagined to happen virtually happen now. Online held schools and colleges, important meetings are now done online, work from home is the new norm, and so much more! The list goes on and on.
After covid struck, the world changed. The year 2022 and the years after will move significantly towards digitalization. Hence, it is better to create a will online. Also, an individual can keep the Will in soft copy format and get a hard copy whenever required. It is safer, time-efficient, cheap, and very easy.
Most things can happen virtually, and so can drafting a will or an estate. It is easy, cheap, and a lot more efficient. People can draft a will within the comfort of their home; they do not need to visit the attorneys multiple times. Creating an online will takes much less time than if made in pen and paper with an attorney. And if you want to ask ‘are online wills legal’, then the answer is yes.
So, who should consider making a will online? Well, all of us should. The cost of creating a will vary greatly considering what service the individual wishes to take. Some sites provide the user with free access to draft a will or an estate; meanwhile, there are subscription-type sites too that charge every month. And there are one-time payment-based sites as well, which require a one-time fee to give the user access to draft a will.
Benefits of making an online will
Making an online living will is one of the safest bets. Creating an Online Will comes with many benefits. There are hardly any disadvantages. The benefits of making an online will are listed below.
- It is a straightforward process to draft an online will if you are thinking about how to make an online will. It might take up only 15 to 20 minutes of the individual’s time to draft a will. An Individual can create a will in some easy steps.
a) Find a trusted and reputable website that specializes in will drafting.
b) Make a list of your physical assets such as real estate, automobiles, jewelry, and laptops. Make a list of your non-physical assets as well.
c) Register on the website that you will use.
d) Log in and pay the fees if the website requires it.
e) Use the already-made list to provide the required information to the website.
f) Give the names of the people to whom you want your properties to go (Beneficiary)
g) They will draft the will and send it to you, reviewing the draft intently.
h) Completing your review, check if any changes are necessary for the draft they send. If changes are needed, make the changes.
i) After the alterations, they will generate an online will, yours now.
j) Get a printout and sign it before two witnesses; some states in the United States need three witnesses who should be above 18 years of age.
- A considerable advantage in drafting a will online is that it will cost a lot less money than it would have if you went to a lawyer. You can get yourself an online will for as cheap as free. However, those sites might not be that good for you. Drafting an online will through an online platform might cost you from 0 to 100 USD, whereas preparing one through an attorney might cost you a few hundred just for the simplest of will. The cost increases as the will gets more complex.
- As it is time-efficient, you can start creating one right now. It will not require much time, and you can get the comfort of crafting one will within the comfort of your home. If you want to make a standard will, you’d have to call an attorney, and there are many steps in building one. However, that is not the case while drafting an online will.
- Because it is a soft copy, it is easy to store. You will never lose an online will like you would lose a physical will. One must store an online will in the cloud; if you need one hard copy, you can print it out.
- After making an online will from the comfort of your home, you can always go to an attorney or a lawyer whenever you feel confused.
Conclusion
As we move forward, technology is advancing and evolving every day. In a mere few years, we will be much more advanced than one can imagine. There are certainly some cons to making an online will, but there are many more advantages that we must focus on.
Online will is undoubtedly one of the best bets one can take up to make sure that they leave their loved ones and close ones in the best position financially. If an online will is made from a reputable and trusted website that specializes in creating an online will, it will be a very safe place to make a will.
If you are planning to write an online will, getting it done with Clocr’s online Will free template. Wait no more and start making one right away. It only takes twenty minutes or less. Sign up with Clocr today.
