What Does Estate Planning Cost?

Services like Trust & Will structure their plans as separate products. An "individual" plan is a different SKU than a "couples" plan. When you get married (individual to couple) or divorced (couple to individual), their system requires you to purchase a new plan rather than convert your existing one. This rebuy model generates recurring revenue but increases your lifetime costs.

Major events that typically require updates include: getting married (add spouse as beneficiary/co-trustee), having a baby (add beneficiary, designate guardian), getting divorced (remove ex-spouse, restructure trust), remarrying (add new spouse), moving to a new state (review state-specific requirements), buying property (add to trust), and receiving an inheritance (update beneficiary allocations).

SimplyTrust uses a Nevada revocable trust structure that is recognized in all 50 states, eliminating the need for state-specific document versions. The subscription model spreads costs over time while including most amendments.

Attorney costs in this calculator include initial trust creation (based on state-specific hourly rates from the Clio Legal Trends Report) and amendment fees for life events. Simple amendments like adding a beneficiary have lower fees, while major changes like restructuring for divorce can be significantly more expensive or require a full trust restatement.

Costs are based on published pricing from each provider and state-specific attorney rates from the Clio Legal Trends Report. Actual costs may vary based on individual circumstances, complexity of your estate, and specific attorney billing practices.

Even without life events, SimplyTrust remains cost-competitive due to our low upfront fee and affordable subscription. The calculator lets you uncheck all life events to compare base costs across providers.