Public understanding regarding the necessity of creating a will continues to lag, even with the severe legal and financial hurdles that occur when someone passes intestate. When a household’s primary earner dies suddenly, surviving family members often face immense challenges in tracking down and claiming assets scattered across various investment portfolios, bank deposits, insurance claims, and property holdings.
Navigating digital will platforms
As familiarity with legacy planning grows, web-based services like Yellow, KustodianLife, and No Grey are stepping in to streamline document creation. Gaining clarity on how these services function, the prices they charge, and their potential constraints helps individuals evaluate whether a digital solution fits their specific estate needs.
How does online will-making work?
Most online platforms provide a basic do-it-yourself (DIY) option at the lowest cost. Users generally have to enter personal information, including their name and address, details of family members and dependents, information about the executor and witnesses, and, crucially, details of their assets and how they want those assets distributed.
Using the information provided, the platform generates the will, generally in PDF format. The user must then download and print the document and sign it in the presence of two witnesses. The witnesses must also sign the will. Simply applying a digital signature does not make a will legally valid. Physical execution of the document remains an important requirement.
However, the convenience of a DIY will can also be its biggest drawback.
Experts said the DIY route may be suitable for individuals with relatively simple assets and straightforward distribution plans. However, professional assistance may be advisable when the financial or family situation is more complex. Circumstances such as divorce, remarriage, ownership of multiple properties or being an NRI can make expert guidance particularly useful.
Assisted services are available in several formats. Users can book consultations to resolve specific questions or have a draft reviewed. More comprehensive plans may include end-to-end assistance covering drafting, legal review, notarisation and help with registration. Some online providers also arrange physical, in-person support.
How much will online will-making cost?
The cost of creating a will online depends largely on the extent of professional assistance included in the package.
Yellow charges ₹2,499 for its basic plan, while its premium offering is priced at ₹5,499. Adding registration assistance can push the overall expense beyond ₹15,000.
KustodianLife charges ₹12,500 for a fully customised will, with registration costing an additional ₹8,000- ₹15,000. The platform has also introduced a DIY plan priced at ₹499.
Aasan Will does not provide a DIY option. Its basic package starts at ₹4,999 and covers drafting, review and notarisation, while registration is charged separately. Its comprehensive service, which includes in-person assistance, costs about ₹30,000.
Consumers should not, however, choose a platform solely on the basis of price. It is also worth comparing online packages with the fees charged by lawyers for preparing a will offline.
Registering a will
A will does not have to be registered to be legally valid. Nevertheless, registration can offer an additional layer of evidence regarding the document’s authenticity if its validity is challenged later.
The official cost of registering a will is relatively low. The government registration fee is ₹100, while document handling or scanning charges generally range from ₹20 to ₹40 per page. For a five-page will, these charges would amount to roughly ₹100- ₹200. Wills are not subject to stamp duty.
Online estate planning
The digital estate-planning market is increasingly offering services beyond basic will preparation. Some platforms provide assistance with family trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and gift deeds.
Certain providers also offer post-demise services to help families implement the will, trace and recover assets, and facilitate their transfer to .
Aasan Will, for instance, also provides executor services. An executor is responsible for implementing the instructions contained in the will and helping administer and settle the deceased person’s estate.