Online Will Maker

How to use

1. Enter your age and approximate estate value in dollars.
2. Answer married and minor-children questions with yes or no.
3. Read the federal estate tax line, which stays at zero below the roughly 15 million dollar exemption.
4. Work through the checklist items the tool counts for your situation.
5. Note which state you live in, since some states tax estates far below the federal line.

About this tool

Organize the pieces of a will and see whether federal estate tax could ever apply. At the default 400,000 dollar estate the federal tax line reads $0.00, because the 2026 exemption sits around 15 million dollars per person, a level very few estates reach; above it, the excess is taxed at 40 percent. The checklist scales with your answers: four core items at the defaults, five when married, six with minor children, covering executor selection, beneficiaries, witnesses, self-proving affidavits, guardians, and spousal coordination. Some states tax far smaller estates, with Oregon and Massachusetts thresholds around 1 million dollars, so state-level exposure is a separate question. This is an educational checklist, not a legal document and not legal advice. Educational checklist only: not a legal document, not legal advice, no attorney review; figures use 2026 published federal parameters and approximate state thresholds; verify with official sources.Payable-on-death and transfer-on-death registrations move bank and brokerage accounts outside probate in most states, and retirement accounts pass by beneficiary designation. A letter of instruction handles passwords, crypto keys, and account locations that do not belong in the will itself. State probate courts differ widely in cost and delay, which shapes how much deserves to go through a will.

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