Questions to Ask Before Accepting a 'Free' Will

Before you fill in a single beneficiary on a "free" will platform, run through these questions. Five minutes now can save you an unwanted phone call, an unexpected bill, or a document you can't actually access when you need it.

1. Will I be contacted by an advisor or salesperson afterward?

Check the terms and privacy policy for phrases like "may share your information with our partners" or "a consultant will be in touch." If creating your will requires disclosing your estimated asset value or income, ask yourself why a document generator needs that information at all.

2. Is storage free, or does it expire?

A will that isn't stored securely — or that becomes inaccessible after a trial period ends — isn't protecting anything. Confirm storage is free indefinitely, not just for the first 30 or 90 days.

3. Can I update it later without paying?

Life changes — marriage, children, new assets — and your will needs to change with it (see how often you should update your will). If updates cost money or require a new subscription, ask what happens to people who can't or don't pay when their life changes.

4. Is there proof my will hasn't been altered?

A will sitting as an unprotected file can be edited, replaced, or disputed with no way to prove what you actually signed and when. Look for some form of tamper-evident verification — a blockchain certificate, a cryptographic hash, anything beyond "trust us."

5. What happens to my data?

Is your information stored only on your device, or on a server? Is it sold or shared with third parties? A platform that's upfront and specific about this (rather than a vague "we value your privacy") is a good sign.

6. Is the company open about how it makes money?

Every legitimate business has a way of sustaining itself. The question isn't whether they make money — it's whether they're transparent about how. See our companion article on why some wills are free for the common models.

Run urWill Through This Checklist

We'd rather you ask these questions than assume. urWill doesn't call you, doesn't paywall storage or updates, generates a blockchain certificate for every will, stores your data primarily on your own device, and the code is open source and publicly auditable. Create your will online — free, and check for yourself.