Awareness around the importance of making a will remains low, even though dying intestate can have serious consequences. If a family’s breadwinner dies unexpectedly, dependents may struggle to identify and access assets spread across investments, bank accounts, insurance policies and properties.
As awareness grows, online will-making platforms such as Yellow, Aasan Will, KustodianLife and No Grey are trying to simplify estate planning. Understanding how they work, what they cost and where the risks lie can help you decide whether an online will is right for you.
How does online will-making work?
Most platforms offer a basic do-it-yourself (DIY) option at the lowest price. Users are typically asked to provide personal details such as their name and address, information about family and dependents, details of the executor and witnesses, and, most importantly, information about their assets and how they want them distributed.
The platform then uses this information to generate the will, usually as a PDF. The user has to download and print it, sign it in the presence of two witnesses, and have the witnesses sign it as well. A digital signature, by itself, does not make a will legally valid. Physical signing remains an essential step.
The simplicity of the process is also its biggest limitation.
“DIY works for people who are sure their assets are not complicated, and their distribution is straightforward. Otherwise, we do not encourage this approach. We also nudge people to take assistance in cases such as divorce, remarriage, multiple real estate holdings or if the person is an NRI,” said Kunal Kabra, co-founder, KustodianLife.
Assisted services can take different forms. A user may book a consultation to clarify questions and get the draft reviewed. Alternatively, premium plans can provide end-to-end support, including drafting, legal review, notarisation and assistance with registration. Some platforms also offer in-person assistance.
What does an online will cost?
The cost varies significantly depending on the level of assistance.
Yellow charges ₹2,499 for its basic plan while its premium plan costs ₹5,499. If registration assistance is added, the total cost can cross ₹15,000.
KustodianLife offers a fully customized will for ₹12,500, with registration costing another ₹8,000- ₹15,000. It has also recently introduced a DIY option at ₹499. The platform currently does not charge for consultation.
Aasan Will does not offer a DIY product. Its basic plan starts at ₹4,999 and includes drafting, review and notarisation, while registration is charged separately. Its end-to-end service, including in-person assistance, costs around ₹30,000.
But before choosing the cheapest option, consumers should also compare these prices with what an offline lawyer would charge.
Online vs offline: What are you paying for?
Mohini Mahadevia, certified financial planner and founder of estate planning firm SOLUFIN, said that offline lawyers typically charge ₹10,000- ₹50,000 to prepare a will, depending on their experience and expertise. Registration-related assistance is generally charged separately and can vary across states. In Mumbai, for instance, she said it typically ranges between ₹5,000 and ₹12,000.
But cost alone should not determine the choice. “A lot of big firms charging big bucks may overlook basic estate planning conflicts, while a lawyer charging ₹10,000 could also end up being really good,” she said.
The cost of implementing the will after death is separate. “The charges depend on the level of involvement required,” she added.
The real challenge: What must you disclose?
A lawyer sitting across the table can ask follow-up questions, challenge assumptions and identify gaps that a person may not realize exist. A DIY platform, however comprehensive, largely depends on the user knowing what information is relevant.
“India is not financially literate. People may not know what to ask or what information to disclose,” said Sebi-registered investment adviser Viresh Patel.
He recalled the case of an individual who needed a will because his housing society’s redevelopment process required one. The person spoke to a lawyer over a call and explained the immediate requirement, but did not disclose his other investments.
He believed that since nominees had already been added to those investments, they did not need to be covered by the will. According to Patel, the lawyer did not ask either, particularly because the client appeared cost-conscious and was unaware of the implications.
Another common mistake is assuming that every asset mentioned by the testator can automatically be bequeathed through a will.
“For example, someone may have paid for a property, but it was bought in somebody else’s name. It is not his property, and he cannot will it. Similarly, some properties are jointly held, but a person may still put the entire property under his will,” said Patel.
There can also be complications when assets are distributed unequally among legal heirs. If a person writes that all assets should go to his son, for example, other legal heirs may potentially challenge the arrangement. Clearly documenting the testator’s intention and the reasons for excluding or giving a smaller share to a family member can help reduce ambiguity and provide context.
“An expert lawyer will review the documents to figure out ownership, rather than relying only on what the person discloses. This makes for a proper will,” Patel said.
The question is not really online versus offline. It is about reaching out to the right expert. “The perception that just any lawyer can do it is wrong. You want someone who has experience in handling wills and, more importantly, in implementing them,” said Patel.
Can technology bridge the gap?
Online platforms claim that technology can address some of these shortcomings by making questionnaires more comprehensive than what an average person, or even a lawyer, might cover in a short consultation.
Nikhil Varghese, co-founder and chief domain officer at Yellow, said its platform guides users through more than 40 asset classes.
“Most people who sit down to write a will, even with a lawyer, don't spontaneously think of all of these. Yellow’s structured intake ensures nothing is inadvertently left out, making it difficult to produce an incomplete will because the platform won't let you skip what matters,” he said.
A detailed questionnaire can certainly reduce the chances of an obvious omission. But consumers should still understand the extent of the legal review involved.
One important question is whether the lawyer reviewing the will is an in-house professional or a third-party lawyer assigned to the customer. An in-house legal team may provide greater accountability and consistency, while the quality of third-party assistance can depend on the individual professional.
Do you need to register your will?
Registration of a will is not mandatory. However, it can provide an additional layer of evidence to establish the document’s authenticity if questions arise later.
“One of the reasons people feel apprehensive about registering is that they may have to make changes later. Registration is not mandatory, so if they are doing it, they can take their time and register when they are fairly confident there will be no changes. If changes are required, editing the will is still easy. The second will will prevail even if it is not registered. But if someone wants to take the extra precaution, they should register the revised will again,” said Kabra.
The official cost of registering a will is relatively modest. The government registration fee is ₹100, while document handling or scanning charges are around ₹20- ₹40 per page. For a five-page will, this comes to around ₹100- ₹200. Wills are exempt from stamp duty.
This raises the question of why platforms charge considerably more for registration assistance.
“Companies only take a nearly 20-25% markup on the cost for the time spent managing the system and manpower. We encourage customers to do it themselves to avoid heavy charges. We also give them a free toolkit to understand how to register and where to register,” said Pritika Kumar, co-founder, No Grey, a Gurugram-based online legal platform involved in wills and trusts.
Look beyond the will
The online estate-planning ecosystem is also expanding beyond basic will preparation. Several platforms offer related services such as family trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and gift deeds. Some also offer post-demise assistance, helping families execute the will, recover assets and facilitate their transfer.
Platforms such as Aasan Will also offer executor services. The executor is responsible for carrying out the instructions in the will and helping settle the deceased’s estate.
However, Patel believes post-demise assistance should ideally be a safety net rather than a substitute for getting the will right in the first place.
For consumers, an online will can be a useful starting point. But convenience should not be confused with comprehensiveness. Focus on experience over cost.