Best Online Healthcare Directive Services Compared
The best online healthcare directive services are FreeWill (free), Five Wishes ($5 per paper copy), LegalZoom ($39 or $49), Mama Bear Legal Forms ($159 will package), Trust & Will (will package from $199) and Rocket Lawyer (free template on a 7-day trial, then membership). A living will states your wishes about medical treatment. A healthcare power of attorney names a person to make decisions for you.
At ModernWallet, we compared these six services using only what each one publishes on its own page: the price, the documents included and any attorney access. Trust & Will sells its living will only inside a will or trust package. Mama Bear Legal Forms puts its health care power of attorney inside a will package.
If you also want a will, our online will maker roundup compares those packages. The will cost calculator lets you add up the total before you buy.
How we ranked these healthcare directive services
Each service is compared on four factors: price, the documents included, attorney access, and what its page says about state rules. Price covers the full shape of the cost, including trials that renew, add-ons and bulk rates. The six services are listed in a fixed order that is not a quality ranking, and each gets a "best for" label drawn from what its own page publishes.
#1 FreeWill
Best for: People who want a free healthcare directive with no credit card
FreeWill offers an advance healthcare directive, which FreeWill also calls a living will. The document lets you state your healthcare wishes and appoint someone to make decisions for you if you are unable to.
FreeWill's page says its estate planning tools are "100% free" with no credit card required, at "absolutely no cost to you." A Durable Financial Power of Attorney is a separate FreeWill product for naming someone to make financial decisions if you can't.
Only FreeWill's Revocable Living Trust carries a "California only" label, and the page lists no state restriction for the healthcare directive.
Strengths
- Costs nothing, and FreeWill's page says no credit card is required
- One directive covers both your healthcare wishes and the person you appoint to decide
- Offers a separate Durable Financial Power of Attorney for money decisions
- Lists no state restriction for the healthcare directive
Limitations
- The healthcare directive and the financial power of attorney are separate documents, so covering both takes two
- FreeWill's page lists no attorney consultation for the healthcare directive
- The Revocable Living Trust is labelled California only
Pricing: Free; no credit card required.
#2 LegalZoom
Best for: People who want a standalone living will and healthcare power of attorney with optional attorney calls
LegalZoom sells two healthcare directive tiers. The $39 Basic Healthcare Directive includes a living will, a healthcare power of attorney, online questions to guide you, unlimited revisions for 30 days and secure online document storage.
The $49 Premium Healthcare Directive adds unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations for 14 days. After that trial, the attorney subscription renews at $25 per month unless you cancel online or by phone.
Documents are typically ready to download in 2 to 3 business days, and LegalZoom says they were created by attorneys and "have been accepted in all 50 states."
Strengths
- $39 Basic includes both a living will and a healthcare power of attorney
- Unlimited document revisions for 30 days, plus secure online storage
- $49 Premium adds unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations for 14 days
- LegalZoom says the documents have been accepted in all 50 states
Limitations
- Premium's attorney subscription renews at $25 per month after 14 days unless you cancel online or by phone
- Consultations are limited to one per new legal matter and exclude business matters
- LegalZoom does not clearly say whether Basic includes attorney review, and downloads typically take 2 to 3 business days
Pricing: $39 Basic; $49 Premium, then $25/month for attorney consultations unless canceled.
#3 Trust & Will
Best for: People who want a living will inside a will or trust package
Trust & Will does not list a standalone price for a living will, healthcare directive or power of attorney, because those documents come only in packages. The Will Plan, starting at $199, includes a HIPAA Authorization, a Living Will and a Power of Attorney alongside a Last Will & Testament.
The Trust Plan, starting at $499, adds a Revocable Living Trust, Pour Over Will, Schedule of Assets, Certification of Trust and Trust Funding Guide. Both plans come in Individual or Couple versions and offer payment plans.
Two add-ons are optional: a Membership at $49 per year and Attorney Support at +$299.
Strengths
- Will Plan bundles a Living Will, Power of Attorney and HIPAA Authorization with a Last Will & Testament
- Trust Plan from $499 adds a Revocable Living Trust and Trust Funding Guide
- Payment plans are available for both plans
- Attorney Support is available as a +$299 add-on
Limitations
- No standalone price for a living will or healthcare power of attorney
- The page lists no separate price for the Couple option
Pricing: Will Plan from $199; Trust Plan from $499; add-ons $49/year Membership, +$299 Attorney Support.
#4 Mama Bear Legal Forms
Best for: People bundling health care and finance powers of attorney with a will, or parents covering a college-age student
Mama Bear Legal Forms bundles healthcare documents with its Last Will & Testament package. The package costs $159 for an individual or $249 for a married couple, and adding a spouse's will costs $90.
It includes a last will and testament, a health care power of attorney, a finance power of attorney and a HIPAA release, though the page does not list a living will by name. A separate $89 College Power of Attorney includes health and finance power of attorney documents, a HIPAA release and a FERPA waiver, to help a college-age student in an emergency.
A Senior Adult Power of Attorney also costs $89, and the page gives only its title and price.
Strengths
- $159 package pairs a will with health care and finance powers of attorney and a HIPAA release
- $249 married-couple price, or $90 to add a spouse's will
- $89 College Power of Attorney adds a FERPA waiver for a college-age student
- $89 Senior Adult Power of Attorney is sold on its own
Limitations
- The page does not list a living will by name
- The Senior Adult Power of Attorney page gives only a title and price
- No attorney consultation is listed on the page
Pricing: $159 individual will package ($249 couples); College or Senior Adult Power of Attorney $89.
#5 Rocket Lawyer
Best for: People who want a free state living will template and an attorney reply within one business day
Rocket Lawyer's Colorado living will page describes a free Colorado Living Will template. It says starting one gets you Rocket Lawyer free for 7 days, but it does not state what membership costs after the trial.
You can ask an attorney a question and get a response within one business day, or request a more in-depth document review, and the page gives no price for either. Membership benefits mention "Consult an Attorney Live," and the page does not say whether that is part of the trial or a paid add-on.
Living wills are offered for each state in Rocket Lawyer's selector, which includes the District of Columbia.
Strengths
- Free living will template with a 7-day free trial
- Attorney response to a question within one business day
- The Colorado form can be used throughout Colorado
- Living will offered in each state in its selector, plus the District of Columbia
Limitations
- The page does not state the membership price after the 7-day trial
- No prices are given for attorney questions or in-depth document review
- The page does not say whether "Consult an Attorney Live" is in the trial or a paid add-on
Pricing: Free template with a 7-day free trial; membership price after the trial is not published on the page.
#6 Five Wishes
Best for: People who want a plain-language paper living will, or multiple copies at bulk prices
Five Wishes sells a paper form that its page describes as "a legal advance directive and living will written in simple, everyday language." The regular price is $5.00 per copy, dropping to $2.00 each for 10 or more copies and $1.00 each for 25 or more.
You complete the form yourself, and the page lists many language editions. Five Wishes' page gives no list of states where the form is valid.
Strengths
- $5.00 per copy
- Bulk pricing of $2.00 each for 10 or more and $1.00 each for 25 or more
- Written in simple, everyday language
- Available in many language editions
Limitations
- A paper form you complete yourself
- The page gives no state-by-state validity list
- No attorney access is listed
Pricing: $5.00 per copy; $2.00 each for 10+; $1.00 each for 25+.
Comparison: 6 healthcare directive services at a glance
| Option | Service | Price | What's included | Attorney access | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FeaturedYour company here, pinned above every listing Get featured → | |||||
| FreeWill | Free, no credit card | Healthcare directive (living will); separate financial power of attorney | None listed | A free directive with no credit card | |
| LegalZoom | $39 Basic; $49 Premium | Living will, healthcare power of attorney, 30-day revisions, storage | Premium: 14 days of 30-minute consults, then $25/month | Standalone directive with optional attorney calls | |
| Trust & Will | From $199 Will Plan; from $499 Trust Plan | Living will, power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, last will | Attorney Support add-on, +$299 | A directive bundled with a will or trust | |
| Mama Bear Legal Forms | $159 individual; $249 couples; $89 power of attorney sets | Will, health care and finance powers of attorney, HIPAA release | None listed | People bundling powers of attorney with a will | |
| Rocket Lawyer | Free template; 7-day trial, then membership (price unpublished) | State living will template, District of Columbia included | Attorney reply within one business day; price unpublished | A state template plus an attorney question | |
| Five Wishes | $5 per copy; $2 each for 10+; $1 for 25+ | Plain-language paper advance directive and living will | None listed | A paper form in many language editions | |
| MyDirectives | Free account for individuals | Create or upload advance care planning documents; secure cloud storage and sharing | Not published | People wanting a free place to store and share care documents | |
| Legal Templates | Not published; free trial offered | Advance Directive form, Word or PDF, unlimited revisions and copies | Forms written by attorneys; site says it gives no legal advice | People comfortable filling in a form themselves | |
| AWS Law Firm | Not published; free initial consultation | Wills, trusts and health care directives drafted for clients | Attorney-prepared; offices in Tampa and St. Petersburg | Florida residents wanting a lawyer to draft their documents | |
| ELG Estate Planning (Elder Law Group PLLC) | Not published | Health care directives (living wills) and durable powers of attorney | Attorney-prepared; offices in Spokane, Tri-Cities and Seattle | Washington residents wanting estate and elder law help | |
| Gravis Law | Not published | Living wills and health care directives under estate planning | Attorney-prepared; remote or phone consultations offered | Clients in its nine states wanting a lawyer for a directive | |
| Davidson Estate Law | Not published | Advance health directives, wills, living trusts and powers of attorney | Attorney-drafted; offices in Oakland and Larkspur, CA | California residents wanting a lawyer-drafted advance directive | |
| PowerOfAttorney.com | Free | Free printable Medical POA (advance directive) forms and state signing rules | Not published | People wanting free state-specific forms to print | |
| Trustworthy | Free plan; paid from $10/month billed annually | Stores healthcare directives, powers of attorney and living wills; no drafting listed | Expert pages linked; terms not published | People wanting one place to store family documents | |
| FormsPal | Free templates; form builder price Not published | Living will and medical power of attorney sections, witness and notary pages | None; states it is not a law firm | Filling in a living will yourself with state signing guidance | |
Rates, fees and terms are as each company publishes them. Confirm current details before you apply. Listed here? Update your listing.
Our verdict: which should you choose?
Pick FreeWill if you want a healthcare directive that costs nothing and needs no credit card. Pick LegalZoom if you want a living will and healthcare power of attorney as a standalone $39 purchase, or $49 with 14 days of attorney consultations. Pick Trust & Will if you want a living will, power of attorney and HIPAA authorization inside a will package starting at $199.
Pick Mama Bear Legal Forms if you want health care and finance powers of attorney with a $159 will, or the $89 College Power of Attorney for a college-age student. Pick Rocket Lawyer if you want a state living will template and an attorney reply within one business day, and you can accept a membership price the page does not publish. Pick Five Wishes if you want a plain-language paper form at $5 a copy.
FreeWill, Mama Bear Legal Forms and Five Wishes list no attorney consultation, so skip them if you want a lawyer to answer questions before you sign. LegalZoom Premium, Trust & Will's +$299 Attorney Support and Rocket Lawyer's attorney questions cover that need.
Living Will vs. Healthcare Power of Attorney
A living will states your wishes about medical treatment, while a healthcare power of attorney names a person to make decisions for you. Several of these services sell the two together under the name healthcare directive or advance directive.
LegalZoom's $39 Basic Healthcare Directive includes both a living will and a healthcare power of attorney. FreeWill's advance healthcare directive, which FreeWill also calls a living will, lets you state your wishes and appoint someone to decide for you. Trust & Will's Will Plan lists a Living Will and a Power of Attorney as separate documents in the same package.
Mama Bear Legal Forms works differently. Its $159 will package includes a health care power of attorney and a HIPAA release, but the page does not list a living will by name. Rocket Lawyer's page describes a living will template, and Five Wishes calls its paper form both an advance directive and a living will.
A financial power of attorney names someone to make money decisions and is a separate document from the healthcare one. FreeWill offers its Durable Financial Power of Attorney as its own product, and Mama Bear Legal Forms puts a finance power of attorney in its will package. For how these documents differ from a will, see our power of attorney vs. will comparison, and for the court-appointed route, see power of attorney vs. guardianship.
Signing and Witness Rules
Signing rules for healthcare directives, including witnesses and notarization, vary by state. LegalZoom's page says its documents were created by attorneys and "have been accepted in all 50 states." LegalZoom also says many states require notarization and tells you to look up your own state's signing rules, but its page does not list them state by state.
Five Wishes' page gives no list of states where its paper form is valid. Rocket Lawyer uses a state selector that includes the District of Columbia, and its Colorado page says the Colorado form can be used throughout Colorado. FreeWill lists no state restriction for its healthcare directive, and only its Revocable Living Trust is marked California only.
Before you sign any of these documents, find out whether your state asks for witnesses, a notary, or both. If you can't tell which rules apply, a lawyer in your state can answer that question. The next section lists the attorney options these six services sell.
When a Lawyer Is the Better Route
A lawyer is the better route when you cannot tell which signing rules your state applies to a healthcare directive. Three of these services offer attorney access alongside the documents.
- LegalZoom Premium costs $49 for unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations over 14 days. After the trial, the subscription renews at $25 per month unless you cancel online or by phone. Consultations are limited to one per new legal matter and exclude business matters.
- Trust & Will sells Attorney Support as a +$299 add-on.
- Rocket Lawyer lets you ask an attorney a question and get a response within one business day, or request a more in-depth document review. The page gives no price for either, and it does not say whether "Consult an Attorney Live" is part of the 7-day trial.
FreeWill, Mama Bear Legal Forms and Five Wishes list no attorney consultation on their pages. To weigh hiring a lawyer directly against an online service, read our online will vs. lawyer comparison, and for a full planning checklist, start with our first-time estate planning guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a living will and a healthcare directive?
On these service pages the two terms often overlap. A living will states your wishes about medical treatment. FreeWill calls its advance healthcare directive a living will, and Five Wishes calls its form both an advance directive and a living will. LegalZoom's Healthcare Directive pairs a living will with a healthcare power of attorney, which names a person to decide for you.
Can I make a healthcare directive online for free?
Yes. FreeWill's page says its estate planning tools, including its advance healthcare directive, are 100% free with no credit card required. Rocket Lawyer describes a free living will template that comes with a 7-day free trial, but its page does not state the membership price after the trial. Five Wishes costs $5 per paper copy.
Do I need a lawyer or notary to sign a healthcare directive?
Notary and witness rules vary by state, and LegalZoom's page says many states require notarization. You can make a directive without paying for attorney time on FreeWill or Five Wishes. If you want an attorney to answer questions, LegalZoom Premium adds 14 days of consultations for $49, and Trust & Will sells Attorney Support for +$299.
How much does an online healthcare directive cost?
Online healthcare directives on this list range from free to packages starting at $199. FreeWill is free, Five Wishes is $5 per copy, and LegalZoom is $39 or $49. Mama Bear Legal Forms includes a health care power of attorney in a $159 will package or an $89 power of attorney set. Trust & Will's Will Plan starts at $199, and Rocket Lawyer's membership price after its 7-day trial is not published.
Is an online living will valid in every state?
Signing rules vary by state, so a living will has to be signed the way your state requires. LegalZoom's page says its documents have been accepted in all 50 states and also says many states require notarization. Rocket Lawyer offers state living wills through a selector that includes the District of Columbia. FreeWill lists no state restriction for its healthcare directive, and Five Wishes' page gives no per-state validity list.
Free calculators to help you decide
Sources
We prioritize primary sources for rules, formulas, rates, limits, and definitions. See our calculator methodology and editorial policy.
- FreeWill, estate planning tools
- LegalZoom, healthcare directive
- Trust & Will, pricing
- Mama Bear Legal Forms, forms and pricing
- Rocket Lawyer, Colorado living will
- Five Wishes, paper form