Frequently Asked Questions

A Will is a document that says what will happen with your assets and affairs after you pass away. Your Will appoints one or more individuals to act as your “executors”, “administrators”, “personal representatives” or “estate trustees” (terminology varies based on where you’re from), who step into your shoes to manage your affairs and “administer” your estate, meaning they carry out your wishes as dictated by your Will and manage your assets and liabilities when you’re gone. A Will is a legal binding document that will help ensure your wishes are followed.

No, you do not need a lawyer to make a Will. A common misconception is that a lawyer legal requirement for a Will to be valid, but in reality the lawyer’s involvement is more so to ensure that your Will is drafted and signed properly, and that your wishes are clearly stated. Since our platform was designed by lawyers with painstakingly created questions and algorithms, this is exactly what you get, but without the high price tag.

As long as the Will you create is properly signed and “executed” (don’t worry, our platform will give you specific direction on what to do at the end!), then the Will produced by our platform will not only be legally valid, it’ll also be comprehensive, highly customized and highly effective, especially compared with other Will kits and online Will builders.

Absolutely! Life circumstances change and it’s essential that your will reflects those changes. With Succession Wills, you can easily update your will anytime you need. Purchasing a Will through us comes with a lifetime account to access, change and re-produce your Will at no extra cost!

Yes, typically, most jurisdictions require Wills to be witnessed by one or more individuals who are not beneficiaries under the Will. As you go through the process of creating your Will with Succession Wills, our platform will provide you with specific guidance on this based on where you live, if you’re in a supported jurisdiction.

If someone dies without a Will, they die “intestate”, which means that the laws of their jurisdiction will determine how their assets are distributed. This may not align with your wishes, which is why having a Will is crucial. Everyone should have a Will, regardless of their age, stage in life or the size of their assets and estate.

Succession Wills employs state-of-the-art encryption methods to protect your data. We prioritize your privacy and security. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

No. Succession Wills uses a proprietary set of algorithms painstakingly created by lawyers to generate the contents of your Will. Every line of text was specifically drafted by a lawyer, not by A.I. The process is based on the same questions and logic that a lawyer would use to draft a Will. That said, A.I. definitely has a role to play in the Will creation process when it comes to figuring out the right questions to ask and “translating” all the legalese into language you can understand. This is why Succession Wills is in the process of building a state-of-the-art A.I. platform to add to our already powerful Will builder.

Right now! Most people turn their minds to creating a Will when they are about to embark on a major life change or event, such as getting married, having a child, buying a home, taking a big vacation, retiring or receiving a serious medical diagnosis. However, it’s never too soon and there is never a bad time to document your wishes and plan your succession!

No! At Succession Wills, we understand that estate planning can be a daunting process, and you may decide you want to go in a different direction once you dive into it. For this reason, we allow users to use our platform and go through the entire process of creating their Will without paying a dime. At the end, we’ll show you an excerpt of your Will and you can decide at that time whether you wish to purchase your generated documents.

No. We understand that your estate planning can be a daunting process. There’s a lot to think about and you may need to hit “pause” and come back later. Succession Wills allows you to create an account with us so that you can save your progress and resume your journey later, picking up right where you left off.

While your Will deals with what happens with your assets and affairs when you pass away, a Living Will, Healthcare Directive or Power of Attorney address what happens if you’re still alive but incapacitated and incapable of managing your own decisions or affairs.

Living Wills and Healthcare Directives give specific directions for your medical care, while a medical Power of Attorney or Power of Attorney for personal care appoints someone to have legal decision-making control over your personal care and medical treatment.

A Power of Attorney for property, by contrast, appoints someone to have legal decision-making control over your financial affairs in the event you are incapacitated, such as ensuring your bills get paid. Living Wills, Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney are important legal documents to complement your Will.

Generally, wills don’t need to be notarized to be valid. However, some jurisdictions may require notarization or at least “self-proving affidavit”, so you’re encouraged to look up your State or Province’s local requirements.

Our Wills have been designed in a broad fashion in order to ensure maximum compatibility across as many jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada as possible. However, we are continuing a campaign of having our product specifically approved in each State and Province, and only some have been specifically covered so far. If your jurisdiction has been specifically vetted, our platform will notify you when you sign up.

If you move between States, between Provinces or between the U.S. and Canada, your will should generally still be valid, but because each jurisdiction has unique laws, it’s best practice to review or update your will after moving. This ensures your documents meet your new jurisdiction’s requirements.

Yes. Any will, whether created online or by a lawyer, can be challenged in court by someone with legal standing (such as a disinherited relative). The best way to reduce the risk of challenges is to ensure your will is properly signed, witnessed, and up to date.

Our platform is built using lawyer-crafted templates designed to meet legal requirements. While the documents you generate are legally valid, they are not individually reviewed by a lawyer unless you choose to seek one. With our new ‘Lawyer Connect’ platform, we make this process easy.

Succession Wills is designed for U.S. and Canadian residents. Other countries have different legal requirements, so wills made here may not be recognized abroad. If you own property or assets overseas, you should consult a legal professional in that jurisdiction.

Yes, our platform allows you to specifically exclude individuals from your will. However, some jurisdictions have protections for spouses or children that may limit disinheritance. To fully understand your rights, legal advice may be required.

Yes, you can leave different portions of your jurisdiction to different beneficiaries. Our platform allows for cash legacies, specific bequests, and tiered and uneven residual inheritance. However, be aware that in some jurisdictions, spouses and children may have legal rights that override your instructions.

Yes, you can appoint co-executors or co-agents (terminology varies by jurisdiction). Keep in mind that this can sometimes cause delays if they disagree or need to act jointly. Some jurisdictions also have specific rules on co-attorneys for Powers of Attorney.

Yes, you can designate substitute executors or agents (terminology varies by jurisdiction). Our platform also allows for customization around specifically how they get substituted (that is, whether the original executors/agents need to all be gone first, vs. whether vacancies are filled as they arise).

In most jurisdictions, yes — it’s common for an executor to also inherit from the estate. However, some jurisdictions restrict witnesses or executors from benefiting, so check your jurisdiction’s rules.

If your chosen executor cannot serve, your will dictates what happens next, such as substituting a substitute executor or agent. If your will fails to do so or you’re at the “end of the line” of chosen substitutes, then generally a beneficiary can apply to the court to appoint a replacement Succession Wills allows you to add plenty of substitutes to avoid this problem.

The law around setting conditions to inheritance tends to be “tricky” and nuanced. That sort of thing is best left to a lawyer in preparing a heavily customized will. At Succession Wills, we allow you to establish benchmark ages at which heirs can receive their inheritance, but we don’t provide for conditions beyond that.

Most jurisdictions honor living wills created in another jurisdiction if they were valid there. Still, because laws vary, it’s best to update your living will when you move.

Our living will lets you specify treatment preferences, including life-saving measures. However, a DNR order often requires a jurisdiction-specific form signed by a doctor. Succession Wills can’t replace those medical orders, but your living will can reflect your wishes.

Yes, you can include your wishes about organ donation in your living will or healthcare directive. Some jurisdictions also let you record this choice on your driver’s license or jurisdiction donor registry for extra clarity.

Without a healthcare directive, applicable law determines who can make medical decisions for you. This often defaults to your spouse, parents, adult children or other next of kin. Having a directive ensures your wishes are clear and legally documented.

Yes, our platform allows you to create both financial and personal care Powers of Attorney. These documents let you appoint someone you trust to handle your affairs if you’re unable.

Yes. You can give broad authority or limit your agent to specific tasks (like managing bills or selling property). Your jurisdiction’s law dictates how these limits must be worded, and our templates help you stay compliant.

Yes, as long as you’re mentally capable, you can revoke a Power of Attorney at any time. The revocation must typically be in writing and may need to be delivered to your agent and relevant institutions.

Yes, most jurisdictions require either witnesses or notarization — sometimes both. Succession Wills provides signing instructions so you know what’s required in your jurisdiction.

You can use your will to transfer ownership of a business, but dictating how you actually want the business’ affairs to then be handled or how you want key roles to be filled requires specialized legal help, which is currently beyond our platform.

If you own property in different jurisdictions, your will usually still covers it, but multiple probate proceedings may be required. For foreign property, you may need a will in that country as well. You should check with local legal professionals.

Yes, but minors cannot directly own property. You’ll usually need to appoint a guardian or set up a trust. Our platform allows you to name guardians, and allows you to set age-based benchmarks for them to receive inheritance, but more complex planning may require legal advice.

Yes, in many jurisdictions divorce can affect the validity of your will or the disposition of your estate. Divorce often impacts inheritance rights. In many jurisdictions, an ex-spouse is automatically removed from your will, but it’s safest to update your documents immediately. We definitely recommend updating your will upon separation or divorce.

Some jurisdictions allow joint wills, but they are less common today and can be restrictive. Many lawyers recommend separate wills for flexibility. Succession Wills supports individual wills for each spouse, with an easy-to-use “mirrored” wills system so that you only need to enter you wishes once as a couple.

Yes. Adopted children usually have the same inheritance rights as biological children. Generally, stepchildren do not have the same inheritance rights as biological children unless you specifically name them. Biological children who’s lives you were never a part of can also be a complicated issue in estate planning. Succession Wills allows you to deal with all of this.

Yes. You can generally name anyone as a beneficiary, including non-residents of your country. However, international inheritance may involve additional tax and legal steps, and foreign beneficiaries may face delays or restrictions when claiming assets. You should check with a local legal expert.

Generally yes, but some jurisdictions will not permit foreign executors, while others allow non-citizens under certain conditions. If your chosen executor lives abroad, they may face extra requirements such as posting a bond or appointing a local agent, and there may also be unintended tax consequences for the estate. You should check with expects in both affected countries.

Most jurisdictions still require wills to be physically signed on paper with witnesses present. A few jurisdictions have adopted electronic will laws, but they come with strict requirements. Check your jurisdiction’s rules before relying on a digital signature. Succession Wills adopts the approach of most jurisdictions by providing you with detailed instructions on how to complete the “execution” of your will on paper.

Among other potential reasons, the most common ways in which a will may be declared invalid are if it was not signed and witnessed properly, if the testator lacked mental capacity, if fraud or undue influence occurred, or if jurisdiction-specific requirements were not met.

In many jurisdictions, a beneficiary who witnesses a will risks losing their inheritance unless other, non-beneficiary witnesses are present. Some jurisdictions prohibit this entirely. It’s prudent to choose witnesses who are not beneficiaries, just to be safe.

Generally, no. Jointly owned property is typically subject to “rights of survivorship”, which means it passes directly to the co-owner, regardless of your will. This most commonly affects real estate (such as a matrimonial home), bank accounts and investments. If you want different arrangements, you may need to change the property title during your lifetime.

In community property jurisdictions, your spouse may automatically own half of marital property. You can only leave your share of community property in your will unless you both agree otherwise.

In community property jurisdictions, your spouse may automatically own half of marital property. You can only leave your share of community property in your will unless you both agree otherwise. Aside from that, in many jurisdictions a spouse can opt to pursue family law remedies to seek a division of your property they perceive as being more favorable than how you’ve structured their inheritance in your will.

Beneficiary designations on accounts like life insurance and retirement plans usually override your will, but this is not always the case. Either way, inconsistency can cause confusion and give rise to dispute among your potential heirs. It’s important to keep those designations consistent with your estate plan.

Handwritten changes, often called “interlineations,” are risky. Courts may not accept them unless they follow strict jurisdiction rules. It’s safer to create a formal update or new will.

A handwritten changes, often called a “holographic will”. is risky. Courts may not accept them unless they follow strict jurisdiction rules. They also tend to lead to lack of clarity, confusion and therefore, dispute. They also tend to lead to lack of clarity, confusion and therefore, dispute. It’s safer to create a printed will.

Yes. Many jurisdictions allow you to attach a notarized, commissioned or apostilled self-proving affidavit signed by you and your witnesses. This affidavit lets the court accept your will without calling your witnesses to testify.

Probate assets are those controlled by your will, like property solely in your name. Non-probate assets pass outside of probate, such as joint accounts, life insurance with a named beneficiary, or retirement plans with beneficiary designations. Some jurisdictions also differentiate between assets that must go through a formal probate process in the court system, versus those that do not, even though all are controlled by your will.

Usually one will covers all property. However, owning property in multiple jurisdictions can trigger separate probate proceedings and other unexpected legal consequences. Some people use trusts or multiple wills to address this. If you own property in multiple jurisdictions, seeking expert advice is recommended.

Yes, a valid will usually takes precedence over intestacy laws. However, some jurisdictions protect spouses and children with minimum inheritance rights that cannot be overridden.

Your will is still valid as long as it was properly executed at the time of signing. Having a self-proving affidavit helps in these cases, since it avoids the need to locate witnesses later.

Yes, but forgiving debts through a will can be complicated. Some debts may still need to be collected or reported for tax purposes. Consult a lawyer if you want to include this type of instruction.

No. Once you pass away, your will cannot be changed. However, courts may interpret unclear terms, and in some cases, heirs may agree to modify distributions through legal procedures.

It’s recommended to review your will every few years, and especially after major life changes (marriage, divorce, children, new property, or moving to another jurisdiction). Laws also change, so periodic updates ensure compliance.

Generally, wills don’t need to be notarized to be valid. However, some jurisdictions allow for a “self-proving affidavit,” which is notarized and makes probate easier. Whether notarization is required depends on your jurisdiction’s laws.

As long as you sign and execute your will properly according to the rules of your jurisdiction, then yes, our documents are designed to work across all U.S. States and Canadian Provinces. That said, we have only had our documents specifically approved by laws in certain States and Provinces thus far. Our platform will warn you if you are not in one of our specifically approved jurisdictions. Also, jurisdiction requirements differ, and moving to a new jurisdiction may require updates. We encourage reviewing your will whenever you change residency.

Your will may still be valid, but because each jurisdiction has unique laws, it’s best practice to review or update your will after moving. This ensures your documents meet your new jurisdiction’s requirements.

Yes. Our guided process asks the right questions to help you choose the type of will or directive that fits your situation. If your needs are complex, we may recommend seeking additional legal advice, but our platform is sophisticated enough to cover most situations.

Yes. We provide options for both individuals and couples so you can protect your family together or individually. Our platform makes it easy to create “mirrored wills” for a couple by only completing the process once for both of you.

Absolutely. You’ll see a full draft of your document before printing or signing, so you can make changes with confidence. In fact, you can see real-time updates to the draft will document as you make changes and work your way through the questionnaire process.

To some degree, yes. The platform tailors will tailor the documents between a U.S. versus Canadian version. However, at this time it does not get as granular as State/Province-specific changes, though we have designed our documents in a way that it shouldn’t be necessary anyway.

Simply create an account, answer a few guided questions, and the platform generates a customized document based on your responses. Our platform is very intuitive and there are plenty of help resources along the way.

Yes. Your progress is being constantly saved automatically, so you can take a break and come back any time. This also means that even after you complete your will, you can come back months or years later to produce an updated will and pick up exactly where you left off.

Yes. You can create and manage your documents on any device — desktop, tablet, or smartphone. There will also be a mobile-native app coming soon!

Very simple. You can add, remove, or adjust beneficiaries at any point through our guided editing tools. You can customize percentages they receive for your estate generally, you can leave specific items to specific beneficiaries (known as “specific bequests”) and you can leave cash gifts to specific beneficiaries (known as “cash legacies”). You can also set age-based benchmarks for heirs to receive their inheritance in stages.

Yes. A living will lets you clearly jurisdiction your wishes about life support and other critical medical treatments.

Yes. You can include instructions about pain management and comfort care so your preferences are honored.

Yes. You may assign more than one proxy, though it’s important to clarify whether they must act jointly or independently.

You can name alternates so there’s always someone legally authorized to step in if your primary proxy isn’t available.

Yes. You can revise your directive anytime while you have decision-making capacity. Once updated, the new version replaces the old one.

Yes, legally you can. However, at this time our platform just allows for durable/continuing (long-term) Powers of Attorney.

You can designate backup agents/attorneys in case your primary choice is unable or unwilling to serve.

Yes, as long as you are mentally capable, you can legally revoke a Power of Attorney at any time by creating and signing a revocation. However, this is not a service offered via our platform.

Yes. Once properly signed and witnessed (or notarized if required), your Power of Attorney is legally recognized by banks, hospitals, and other institutions. However, there may be requirements around producing originals, having documents notarized, etc. You should seek legal advice of such a third party gives you trouble.

Yes. Our platform allows you to assign beneficiaries portions of your estate as percentages rather than fixed amounts, which is helpful if asset values change over time. However, you can also leave specific items to specific beneficiaries (known as “specific bequests”) and you can leave cash gifts to specific beneficiaries (known as “cash legacies”).

Yes. Our platform allows you to list “specific bequests,” such as heirlooms, property, or personal items.

Nothing can totally prevent a dispute among beneficiaries after your death, but by having a clear and definitive will, avoiding ambiguity, your will can reduce the risk of disputes. In complex cases, expert advice may be necessary.

Our Resource center contains many resources for those making their wills, as well as for executors administering them. We provide guidance on the role of an executor so you understand their responsibilities before naming one.

Yes, you can designate substitute executors or agents (terminology varies by jurisdiction). Our platform also allows for customization around specifically how they get substituted (that is, whether the original executors/agents need to all be gone first, vs. whether vacancies are filled as they arise).

Your documents are stored securely on encrypted servers with industry-standard protections.

If you delete your account or documents, they are permanently removed from our system in compliance with privacy laws.

Yes. Your documents are private unless you choose to share them with family, executors, or proxies. No one outside of Succession Wills’ team has access. See our Privacy Policy for more.

At this time, we are offering a single one-time price which includes a will for yourself and your spouse, a power of attorney and a self-proving affidavit. This also includes storage and unlimited updates.

Presently we are offering Powers of Attorney as part of our complete estate planning package, though our Healthcare Directive document is still under construction.

We provide lawyer-crafted, jurisdiction-specific documents at a fraction of the cost of traditional attorneys — and with more features and at a more cost-effective rate than most online competitors.

We provide instructions that are applicable to most jurisdictions. However, because requirements differ — such as the number of witnesses or notarization — you must follow your jurisdiction’s rules for your will to be valid.

In most jurisdictions, two witnesses are sufficient, though requirements vary. Some jurisdictions also allow notarization or affidavits to strengthen validity. Always follow your jurisdiction’s signing rules.

Yes. While notarization is not always required, you can add it for extra assurance. Some jurisdictions also use notarization to make wills “self-proving.” Succession Wills does not offer this service at this time.

When executed properly, your documents are designed to be recognized by probate courts. Challenges are always possible, but correct execution greatly reduces the risk.

We provide a template self-proving affidavit for you to have notarized and signed. Where allowed, so your will can be accepted in probate without needing witness testimony.

Simply create and sign your updated will, and destroy prior wills. Our will template includes revocation language to ensure all prior wills are revoked.

Our platform only stores your current most recent draft. Only your signed, most recent will is legally binding.

Yes. You can designate charities or nonprofits as beneficiaries in your will. Our platform allows you to leave a percentage of your estate or specific assets or cash amounts to charity.

Our will document automatically entitles your executors to access to all of your digital assets, such as cryptocurrency, online accounts, and intellectual property. However, you should make arrangements to ensure means of access (such as passwords) are made available to them.

Our will document automatically entitles your executors to access to all of your online presence, such as social media accounts. However, you should make arrangements to ensure means of access (such as passwords) are made available to them.

Yes. While these instructions are not legally binding in all jurisdictions, including them ensures your family knows your wishes. Our platform allows for you to leave specific instructions as to whether you want to be buried or cremated, and how you want your funeral arrangements to be made.