Epilogue Wills Review: Quickly Create a Legal Will Online

Does the process of creating a will seem long, complicated, and expensive? If so, then Epilogue may be just the answer you didn’t know you were looking for. But an online will company isn’t for everyone. Read this Epilogue Wills review to find out if it’s a good fit for you.

What Is a Will?

A last will and testament is a legal document that provides specific instructions on how you want your affairs dealt with upon your death.

It may include how to distribute your assets and who will take guardianship of your minor children. And all wills will have a person designated to be responsible for handling your estate. This person is known as an executor.

Who Needs a Will?

Everyone with any form of asset or dependent (minor children or pets) should have a legal will. Assets are things such as a home, vehicle, or investment portfolio.

If you currently rent (or live for free), do not own a vehicle, and are just starting on your investing journey then you may not currently need a will. But as your investments grow or you acquire more assets you will need a will.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Get a Will?

The cheapest way to get a legal will in Canada is a handwritten or DIY will kit. But you get what you pay for.

There are many risks with using a DIY will kit. An online will may be worth your time and money.

Are Wills Done Online Valid?

Yes, in Canada, last wills and testaments created online are legally binding. But you will have to print out the document and sign it in the presence of witnesses as a physical copy is required.

While online wills are valid in Canada, not every online will company operates in every province and territory. Continue reading this review to find out what companies operate in your home province.

Do You Need a Lawyer to Create a Will?

If your estate is uncomplicated, then no, you do not need a lawyer to create your will in Canada.

But your will is only legally binding if signed in accordance with the provincial regulations.

Usually, this means you sign it in the presence of two witnesses, are of sound mind and have a physical copy of the document. Electronic signing or storage of your will is not legally binding.

What Information Do You Need for Your Will?

Before you create your will (either in person or online) there are a few things you will want to think about:

• Who will be in charge of your estate?
• Where (or to who) do you want your assets to go?
• Who do you want to appoint to be the guardian of your minor children?

Whoever you choose as guardian for your dependents, it is a good idea to talk to them first before you add them as guardians in your will.

What Is Epilogue?

Epilogue is an online will company that was founded by 2 former estate planning lawyers. Co-founders Daniel Goldgut, and Arin Klug have more than a decade of experience with estate planning.

They believe that everyone should have a will and that the process should be simple, affordable, and light on the legal jargon.

During their law practice, Daniel and Arin noticed that people would struggle to get their wills done. So now they have created a system that makes the process easy and affordable.

Getting Started With Epilogue

The website for Epilogue makes it easy to get started. Just click on the Get Started button and within as little as 20 minutes you could be ready to sign your custom will.

Is Epilogue Available Everywhere in Canada?

Unfortunately not. Currently, Epilogue is only available to residents of Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia. However, they do have plans to expand to all Canadian provinces and territories by 2021.

How Much Do Epilogue Wills Cost?

Epilogue has individual pricing and couples pricing in two tiers.

Individual

• Will only – $139
• Will and Powers of Attorney – $179

Couples

• Will only – $229
• Will and Powers of Attorney – $289

With the couple’s plan, each partner can appoint individual powers of attorney.

How To Create a Will With Epilogue?

Creating your will with Epilogue is simple and can be done in as little as 20 minutes.

Epilogue has a 3 step process:

• Answer personal questions about you and your wishes
• Wait a few seconds for your custom will to be auto-generated
• Follow the signing instructions to make your will official

It really is that easy.

Is Epilogue Safe?

Yes, with Epilogue, your security is their priority. They have put multiple safeguards in place to not only protect your data but your payment information as well.

Epilogue stores your data in a way that is protected by firewalls in Canadian data centres, which keeps your information in Canada and not some foreign country.

What Makes Epilogue Great?

Upon review of Epilogue you will realize that there is more than just an affordable price that makes them great.

Time

In as little as 20 minutes, you can have a will created that is ready to be signed. For most, this is faster than it would take you to commute to your lawyer’s office – one way.

In a 2018 Canadian survey, 51% of people stated that they have no will in place. Epilogue makes the process of creating your will quick and easy.

Founders

The founders of Epilogue are former estate lawyers with over a decade of experience. They are not just consulting with a legal department, they were the legal department.

Your mind can be at ease knowing that the people behind the software are knowledgeable in estate planning

Learning Platform

Epilogue doesn’t just want to take your money and create a one-time will for you. They have invested in a robust learning platform on their website.

The information is provided in a question and answer format that is easy to read and free of confusing legal jargon.

Check out the Learn tab on their website to get all your questions answered.

Free and Unlimited Updates Anytime

With Epilogue you get free and unlimited lifetime updates. This is important as your needs will change throughout your lifetime.

Comprehensive

Sometimes when using a DIY will kit you may unintentionally leave things out. Not with Epilogue, they’ve got you covered.

The online will you create with Epilogue will be comprehensive. You can rest assured that everything required will be included and that it will be legally binding.

Easy To Understand

Epilogue prides itself on simplifying the will creation process by avoiding legal jargon. All of the information on their website and throughout the will creation process is easy to follow.

Who Is Epilogue Not For?

Creating an online will with Epilogue is not for everyone. There will be certain complex situations in which you will want to consult with a lawyer instead of creating your will online.

If you have any of the following situations, then Epilogue may not be for you:

• Dependents with a disability
• Co-Executors or Co-Powers of Attorney
• Professional executor
• Assets outside of Canada
• Blended marriages or mixed families
• If you want to exclude a child or spouse from your will

How Does Epilogue Compare To Other Canadian Online Will Companies?

Epilogue is not the only online will creation platform available in Canada. No review would be complete without seeing how they compare to their competitors.

Epilogue vs Willful

Customer Experience

Epilogue has a very clean and user-friendly website. They make getting started and going through the process painless and simple. Customers will have peace of mind knowing that the founders are previous estate lawyers.

Willful’s website is also easy to follow. But you will have to answer a few more questions when getting started on your will. Willful has a large legal team from across the country.

Both companies have a robust learning centre on their websites helping to answer any questions you may have related to last wills and testaments. And both companies offer free unlimited updates.

Pricing

Willful has three pricing options:

• Essentials – $99
• Premium – $149
• Bundle – $125 per plan up to 6 plans

Epilogue has pricing options for individuals ($139 for a will only, and $179 to include powers of attorney). And couples ($229 for a will only, and $289 to include powers of attorney) but have yet to offer a multi-plan discount beyond 2 people.

Availability

Willful is available in Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. But customers in New Brunswick can only choose the Essentials plan at this time.

Epilogue is currently available in Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia with plans to expand to every province and territory in 2021.

Epilogue vs legalwills.ca

Customer Experience

Epilogue has a very clean, simple easy to use website. They guide you through the process of creating your will without any legal jargon.

Legalwills.ca has a lot of information directly on their homepage. And they offer many ways for a customer to get help throughout the process of creating their will.

As you fill out your personal information you can access the answers to frequently asked questions without having to navigate to another page.

Pricing

Legalwills.ca offers an a la carte type of option for their services. The advantage of this is that you only pay for what you need. The downfall is that you may not know or realize everything you need. And bundling many products can add up in price.

They do offer a 40% discount off of products for your partner/spouse.

Epilogue offers all in one pricing making it easy to know that you are getting everything you need. They offer basic will plans and ones that include powers of attorney as well as individual and couples pricing.

Availability

Legalwills.ca is the only online will company that is available in Quebec and all other provinces and territories. This may also be the reason that they are the only company that advertises that they are available in both French and English.

Epilogue is currently available in Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia with plans to expand to every province and territory in 2021.

Important To Know When Creating an Online Will

Even though you can create your will online, it is not considered valid until it has been physically signed and witnessed by two witnesses in your presence. This step is easy to do, but not one to be forgotten.

Once your will has been signed you will want to save the physical copy of it. Keep it someplace safe and accessible so that it can be retrieved should something happen to you.

With all of the online options now available to Canadians, it has never been easier or more affordable to create your will. If you are looking for a cost-effective option that is simple and easy, check out Epilogue.