Originally published: September 9, 2016 | Last updated: February 5, 2025
The internet presents multiple websites which give people access to free Will templates and free Will kit resources. For something as important as your Last Will and Testament, “free” should raise immediate red flags. The creation of legal documents needs continuous development work and legal assessment and regional adjustments and protected systems and client assistance which all require payment for their provision. Our analysis reveals three distinct types of “free” Will services, each with its own problems.
The internet is full of services offering “free” Will kits and templates. For something as important as your Last Will and Testament, “free” should raise immediate red flags. A quality legal document requires ongoing development, legal review, province-specific customization, secure infrastructure, and customer support, none of which are free to provide. Our analysis reveals three distinct types of “free” Will services, each with its own problems.
The “Free” Will Kit That Is Not Actually Free
These services advertise a free Will but charge for essential features. You might create a basic Will for free, but downloading, printing, or accessing the completed document requires a payment. Some charge for “premium” clauses that are actually standard legal provisions (like trust clauses for minors or alternate beneficiary designations). Others require a monthly subscription that quickly exceeds the cost of a proper one-time service. Customer reviews of these services consistently reflect frustration with hidden charges and bait-and-switch pricing.
These services provide a free Will but they require customers to pay for vital functional elements of their service. You could create a basic Will document without cost but the process of downloading and printing and retrieving the finished document needs you to pay. The service providers ask customers to pay for their “premium” clauses which actually consist of basic legal elements including trust clauses for minors and alternate beneficiary designation options. The services require customers to pay monthly fees which become more expensive than buying a proper service once. The customers of these services show ongoing anger because they find out about costs which appeared suddenly and deceptive price presentation methods.
Some services genuinely offer free Wills, but the documents are dangerously incomplete. They typically provide a bare-bones template with minimal clauses, no province-specific customization, no trust provisions for minors, no alternate beneficiary designations, and no executor powers. These documents may technically be “Wills,” but they omit critical legal provisions that protect your family. A comprehensive Will from LegalWills.ca includes all standard clauses that estate lawyers include: executor powers, trust provisions, residual estate distribution, alternate beneficiaries, and province-specific requirements.
The “Free” Will Kit That Produces Terrible Documents
If you are not paying for the product, you are the product. Some free Will services generate revenue by collecting and selling your personal information, your name, address, family details, financial situation, and health status. This is some of the most sensitive personal data imaginable, being gathered under the guise of estate planning and shared with third parties for marketing or other purposes. Always read the privacy policy of any Will service, and be especially cautious of services that require extensive personal information before you can see the final product.
Free Will services offer documents which lack vital components that make them dangerous to use. The service provides customers with a basic document which contains few legal clauses and lacks any regional modifications for provinces and fails to include trust protection for children and backup beneficiary options and funeral director appointment powers. The documents exist as official Wills yet they lack vital legal elements which defend your family members. LegalWills.ca offers a complete Will which contains all the fundamental provisions that estate lawyers typically include: executor authority, trust establishment rules, distribution of remaining estate assets, backup beneficiary options, and specific requirements for different provinces.
The $49.95 fee at LegalWills.ca covers the actual cost of providing a quality service:
- Legal development: Every Will template is developed and regularly reviewed by estate lawyers to ensure legal validity.
- Province-specific documents: Separate templates for each Canadian province, updated when laws change.
- Secure infrastructure: Encrypted data storage, secure servers, and privacy-first design to protect your personal information.
- Customer support: Free email and phone support to answer your questions during the Will-writing process.
- No hidden fees: $49.95 is the total cost. No upsells, no premium tiers for essential features, no monthly subscriptions required to access your document.
- Value-added tools: LifeLocker for digital asset management, Keyholders for executor notification, and funeral wishes documentation.
Compare this to a paper Will kit that costs $15-$40 but may produce an invalid document, or a lawyer at $500-$1,500+ who provides the same legal outcome. LegalWills.ca offers the best balance of quality, affordability, and convenience.
Ready to create a proper Will? Start with our step-by-step guide or learn six reasons to use an online Will service.
Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.ca.
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 including CTV, Global News, The Toronto Star, and other leading Canadian 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.
