A Powerful Estate Planner

Both! When you buy WillMaker Plus or All-Access, you can choose to make your estate planning documents online or with the software. You can use both, but data can’t be shared between the two platforms, so the documents you make using one platform will not be available on the other. WillMaker Starter users can get the downloadable software by upgrading to Plus or All-Access.

WillMaker used to be available only as downloadable software. Nolo now offers the same dependable, easy-to-use forms in an online app. WillMaker Plus and All-Access customers have access to both platforms. So, it's your choice which to use. Try one or the other -- or test out both. Just keep in mind that you can't transfer documents or data from one platform to the other.

While the documents, interviews, instructions, and support information are nearly identical in the online and download versions of WillMaker, there are some important differences.

Online:

• Includes all of WillMaker’s most essential forms
• No download needed
• Make your forms on any device
• Requires internet access
• Make and revise documents for one year from your date of purchase.

Download:

• Includes all online WillMaker documents, plus several documents for executors
• Installs on your computer
• Requires internet access only for the initial download and for subsequent updates
• Provides indefinite access to the software, with legal and technical updates for one year after date of purchase.

Having questions while making your will and other estate planning documents is normal and expected.

Fortunately, WillMaker has answers. As you're making your documents, you can read on-screen help topics that answer questions related to that screen. If you need to know more, it will be easy to consult the WillMaker Legal Manual, which provides in-depth information about each document.

You'll also always have access to WillMaker Support. There you'll find the answers to commonly asked legal, practical, and technical questions and contact information for Nolo Technical Support.

No. Unlike the other states' laws, Louisiana law is derived from the Napoleonic code. This makes Louisiana's estate planning laws substantially different from the laws of the rest of the country, and WillMaker doesn't address Louisiana's unique requirements. You can create a basic Louisiana will with our simple online form.

If your permanent residence is outside of the United States, you should not use WillMaker. If you are out of the country temporarily –- for school, a job or because you serve in the military, you probably still have ties with a particular state that make it your legal residence. In that case, you can still use WillMaker. For example, if you were born in Wisconsin, lived there for many years, are registered to vote there and receive mail there in care of your parents, who still live in Milwaukee, then Wisconsin is your legal residence for purposes of making a will even if you are spending three months on sabbatical in Europe. If you're not sure where you legally reside, consult a lawyer.

Yes, WillMaker is intended for individual family use, and you can use it to make more than one of any document. You can make a will for yourself, your wife, your brother, your parents, and so on.

No. With WillMaker, each of you must make your own will, even if you both agree about how your property is to be distributed. There is solid legal reasoning behind this rule. Joint wills are intended to prevent the surviving spouse from changing his or her mind about what to do with the property after the first spouse dies. The practical effect is to tie up the property for years and make it impossible for the surviving spouse to react to changed circumstances. Also, many court battles are fought over whether the surviving spouse can revoke any part of the joint will. That's why joint wills are very uncommon these days. If you want to restrict how your property can be used after your death, or make special provisions for children from a prior marriage, using a trust is usually a better solution.

That said, you and your spouse can easily create identical wills -- that is, two separate wills in which all the provisions (such as beneficiaries and children's guardians) are the same. If you want to do this, look for the "Duplicate for Spouse" button provided on the Congratulations screen at the end of the will interview (after the Print Preview screen).

How you finalize your document depends on 1) which document you're making, 2) your state of residence, and in some cases, 3) what you choose to include in the document. Generally:

• Wills are signed and witnessed.
• Living trusts are notarized.
• Durable powers of attorney are notarized.
• Health care directives are witnessed, notarized, or both.
• Final arrangements and letters are signed.

You must also sign and date each document. All WillMaker documents come with signing instructions specific to your state.

Yes, you can make a pour-over will with WillMaker. To do so, when making your will, you will name your trust as beneficiary using the trustee's name and the name of the trust. For example: "John Doe as trustee of the John Doe Living Trust, dated January 1, 20xx."

Keep in mind that the property you leave through the will may have to go through probate when you die. Because living trusts are designed to avoid probate, if you leave too much property through your will, you may end up thwarting your own intentions. Before you make a pour-over will, be sure you know how much property your state allows you to pass through your will without triggering probate proceedings.

Learn more about pour-over wills in the WillMaker Legal Manual or on Nolo.com

Do not use the WillMaker will to leave money or property directly to a person with special needs. The management provided under WillMaker does not sufficiently provide for special needs, and it does not protect eligibility for government benefits.

However, you can use your WillMaker will to leave money or property to a special needs trust. If you name the special needs trust as a beneficiary of your will, the money will go into the trust rather than directly to the person with special needs. This will help your loved one remain eligible for government benefits and will provide property management tailored to your loved one's needs.

To learn more about special needs trusts:

• read the articles on the Special Needs Trusts section of Nolo.com
• read about using WillMaker to leave a gift to a special needs trust.
• read Special Needs Trusts: Protect Your Child's Financial Future, by Kevin Urbatsch and Jessica Farinas Jones Attorney (Nolo), provided with WillMaker, or
• get help from an attorney who specializes in dealing with the needs of people with disabilities.

When you buy WillMaker, you can make as many changes as you'd like for the first year — absolutely free.
If you need more changes after one year, you can extend your revision period an additional year for $39.99. This is optional. You will always have access to your completed documents even after the first year.

WillMaker no longer includes a version year in its name; it is now simply called Quicken WillMaker & Trust.

Rest assured, it’s the same trustworthy product that has been helping people do their own estate planning for decades. But now, instead of releasing a new version each year, we will provide ongoing updates to all customers. This means that anyone with an active WillMaker account will always have access to the most up-to-date features and legal changes.

Now, when you purchase WillMaker, you gain access to the most current version for one year from the date of activation. As long as your membership is active, you will receive all legal updates, technical fixes, and added features. After the first year, you can renew your membership for $39.99.

Historically, Nolo produced a new version of Quicken WillMaker & Trust each year. For example, in late 2008, we released WillMaker 2009, and in late 2024, we released WillMaker 2025. This approach worked well when we published a new version each year, as we would bundle ongoing legal changes and bug fixes with new features and improvements for the next release.

With the increased use of WillMaker online, and given that few customers require physical copies of the software, we can now implement significant changes and updates continuously, eliminating the need for an annual version release.

From our perspective, this means we can spend less time on preparing for a yearly launch and more time making improvements and updates to the program. We believe this approach benefits WillMaker customers by ensuring that you always have the latest features. Additionally, when you need to update your estate plan in the years following your initial purchase, it will be simpler and more cost-effective to renew your access to WillMaker.