You can make a legally valid online will in about an hour. Gather your personal and asset details first, then use a guided platform like FastWill to name beneficiaries, an executor, and a guardian, and finally print the document to sign in front of witnesses.
An online will is not a lesser version of a lawyer-drafted will. It is the same legal document, built through a structured interview instead of a blank page, then finalized the same way any will is finalized: printed, signed, and witnessed according to your state's rules. Here is exactly how the hour breaks down.
Phase 1: Gather Your Information (15 Minutes)
Before you open a will builder, collect the following so you are not stopping mid-process to look things up:
- Personal information: your full legal name, address, and contact details
- Asset inventory: bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, investments, valuable personal property, and digital assets
- Beneficiaries: full names and relationships for everyone who will inherit something
- Executor: the person you trust to carry out your wishes and manage your estate
- Guardianship: your choice of guardian for any minor children
- Debts and liabilities: outstanding loans, mortgages, and credit card balances
- Funeral and burial preferences: anything specific you want documented
Having this ready before you start is what actually makes the hour timeline realistic, and it lines up with the same prep Nolo's own will-making checklist recommends. Most delays happen when someone has to stop and track down an account number or a beneficiary's legal name.
Phase 2: Build Your Will (30 Minutes)
Start your document with the FastWill will package, then move through these steps in order.
Create Your Account
Set up your account with an email address and password so your document is saved and you can return to edit it later.
Enter Your Personal Information
Input your name, address, and contact details, along with the same information for your beneficiaries. This section usually takes about 10 minutes.
Designate Your Executor
Name the person responsible for managing your estate, including their full contact information. Confirm with them beforehand that they are willing to take on the role. If you have not decided yet, our guide on how to write your own will walks through how to choose one.
Assign Beneficiaries and Assets
Match specific assets to specific people. Vague descriptions cause disputes later, so name items and people precisely. Plan for roughly 15 to 20 minutes here if you have several assets and beneficiaries.
Name Guardians for Minor Children
If you have children under 18, choose who will raise them if you and the other parent are both unable to. It is worth telling your chosen guardian directly, rather than letting them find out from the will itself.
Address Debts and Liabilities
List outstanding loans and mortgages, and specify how they should be handled, whether through the sale of assets or from available funds.
Add Funeral and Burial Instructions
Document any specific preferences. Since your loved ones may not read your will until after funeral arrangements are already made, also leave these instructions with someone you trust directly.
Phase 3: Review, Sign, and Store (15 Minutes)
Review and Edit
Read through the completed document carefully. Confirm every name, relationship, and asset description is accurate before you finalize anything.
Sign With Witnesses
Print your will and sign it in the presence of witnesses, following your state's specific execution rules. Most states require at least two adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries, a rule Massachusetts law, for example, spells out directly, and some allow a self-proving affidavit, signed before a notary, that can simplify things for your executor later. Because these requirements vary, check your state's rules directly (Texas, for example, has its own specifics) and read up on what makes a will self-proving before you sign.
Store and Share Copies
Keep your signed will in a safe, accessible location, and give copies or access to your executor and other key people. Storing it somewhere no one can find defeats the purpose of writing it.
Where Online Wills Go Wrong
The building process is straightforward. The place people run into trouble is execution: signing without the correct number of witnesses, using a witness who is also a beneficiary, or skipping notarization when it would have simplified probate. Before you sign, it is worth reading about the common risks of DIY wills so your hour of work actually holds up when it matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an online will legally valid?
Yes. An online will is legally valid as long as it meets your state's requirements for a written will, including proper signing and witnessing. The platform only changes how the document is drafted, not the legal standard it has to meet.
Do I still need to print and sign my online will?
In almost every state, yes. Most states require a physical, wet signature witnessed in person or acknowledged before a notary, so building the document online does not remove this final step.
Can I edit my online will after I finish it?
Yes. You can log back in and update your will any time your circumstances change, such as marriage, divorce, a new child, or a major change in assets. Just remember to re-sign and re-witness a revised will for it to take legal effect.
What if I do not finish in one sitting?
Your progress is saved to your account, so you can pick up where you left off. The one-hour estimate assumes you have your information ready in advance; without it, plan for extra time.
How much does an online will cost?
Pricing depends on the package and any add-ons like notarization. See the plans and pricing page for current options.
Start Your Will Now
With your information gathered, making your will online is a fast, straightforward process. Start with the FastWill will package, and revisit your document after any major life event, such as marriage, divorce, a new child, or a significant change in your assets.
