Published 2026-09-28 · 8 min read

Nolo WillMaker Review (2026): Estate Planning Software for Landlords

Every landlord is sitting on an estate-planning problem they haven't solved. A rental property is an asset that has to go somewhere if you die — and without a will, a trust, and a power of attorney, your heirs get probate court, delays, and potentially a forced sale of the portfolio you spent years building. An estate attorney costs $1,500–$3,000 for a basic plan. Nolo's WillMaker 2026 does the same core job — a legally valid will, a living trust, powers of attorney, and more — for $109 to $219, with your data stored locally on your own computer instead of uploaded to a cloud service.

This review breaks down exactly what each WillMaker tier includes, where it genuinely substitutes for an attorney, where it doesn't, and what makes it different from online-only estate planning services. If you own rental property and still don't have a will, this is the cheapest credible fix on the market.

The short verdict

WillMaker 2026 is Nolo's flagship estate planning software — downloadable desktop software or an online app that walks you through creating a legal will, a living trust, financial and health care powers of attorney, health care directives, final arrangements, and more. Three tiers: Starter at $109 (will only), Plus at $149 (adds a living trust and powers of attorney), and All Access at $219 (adds extra documents and a digital vault subscription).

The standout feature for landlords is the living trust on the Plus tier. A funded living trust keeps your properties out of probate — which is the single highest-value estate planning move a property owner can make. At $149 for the Plus bundle, it's one of the best dollars-to-protection ratios in personal finance.

Best for: landlords and homeowners with straightforward estates who need a will, a living trust, and powers of attorney without paying attorney fees; anyone who wants their estate documents stored locally, not in a company's cloud.

Not for: complex estates (blended families with disputes, special-needs trusts, large business holdings, multi-state property portfolios with tax exposure) — those still need an estate attorney. Also not for anyone who wants a lawyer to review the final documents.

Why landlords specifically need this

A landlord's estate is different from a renter's. Your tenants' leases don't pause because you're in the hospital. Without a plan:

• No will means your properties go through probate — months of court, public records, and legal fees eating into what you meant for your family.
• No living trust means even a valid will still goes through probate for the real estate. A funded living trust avoids probate entirely — the properties transfer to your named successor trustee without a court.
• No durable power of attorney means if you're incapacitated, nobody can legally collect rent, pay the mortgage, or authorize emergency repairs. Your portfolio freezes.
• No health care directive means your family has to guess at your wishes during a crisis.

An estate attorney is still the gold standard for complex situations. But for a straightforward buy-and-hold landlord — spouse, kids, a few properties, nothing exotic — WillMaker's Plus tier covers the documents that matter most. See our broader estate planning for landlords guide for how these pieces fit together with LLCs and beneficiary designations.

WillMaker 2026 pricing

Three bundles, per the 2026 edition announcement from Nolo:

A few honest notes on the pricing structure:

Starter is deliberately limited. At $109 it covers a will, health care directives, and final arrangements — but no trust and no power of attorney. For a landlord, that's the two most important documents missing. Most property owners should treat Plus as the real entry point.

Plus is the sweet spot. For $40 more than Starter, you get the living trust, durable power of attorney, letter to survivors, and the desktop download. This is the bundle that actually solves the landlord's estate problem.

All Access at $219 adds limited power of attorney, a promissory note template, temporary guardianship authorization, and a one-year digital vault subscription (through Everplans) for storing and sharing documents with family and advisors. Worth it if you want the vault; skippable if you already have a secure way to share documents.

Updates: you get free revisions for the first year after purchase. After that, changes cost $40 per additional update period — far cheaper than paying an attorney for an amendment, and you should be reviewing your plan every few years anyway (new properties, new kids, new state laws).

Family members create documents at no extra charge — your spouse gets their own will and trust documents under your purchase. That effectively halves the per-person cost for a married couple.

How it works

WillMaker is an interview-style tool: you answer plain-English questions ("Who should inherit your property if your spouse doesn't survive you?") and it generates the documents. No legal background needed. You can use the online app or download the desktop software for PC/Mac — and this is the feature that separates WillMaker from every online-only competitor:

Your data never has to leave your computer. With the downloadable version, you complete your entire estate plan locally. Online-only services (LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, Trust & Will) store your will, trust, and asset lists on their servers. After a decade of data breaches at companies you trusted with less sensitive information, local storage is a genuine privacy advantage — Nolo has leaned into it as their key differentiator, and for good reason.

The software covers all 50 states with state-specific documents, which matters because will and trust requirements vary by state. The documents are updated for current law — the 2026 edition is the 39th year of the product, and Nolo's legal editors keep it current.

What landlords get document by document

Last will and testament. Names your executor, distributes your assets, names guardians for minor children. Valid in all states when executed properly (signed, witnessed per your state's rules — the software explains the formalities). This is the foundation; every landlord needs one.

Revocable living trust (Plus and All Access). The big one for property owners. You transfer your rental properties into the trust; when you die, your successor trustee manages or distributes them with no probate, no court, no public record. For landlords, avoiding probate on real estate is usually worth more than the entire cost of the software. One caveat the software won't flag for you: the trust only works if you actually retitle your properties into it — an unfunded trust is a paper tiger. That's a trip to the county recorder's office, not a software step.

Durable financial power of attorney (Plus and All Access). Names someone to handle your finances — collect rent, pay mortgages and taxes, sign contracts — if you're incapacitated. For a landlord, this is arguably as important as the will. Your tenants' rent checks don't stop because you're in a hospital bed.

Health care directive and health care power of attorney. Your medical wishes and the person authorized to make decisions when you can't. Not landlord-specific, but part of any complete plan.

Letter to survivors and final arrangements. Non-legal but genuinely useful: where the documents are, who to call, what you want for funeral arrangements. Landlords should add one line the software doesn't suggest — contact info for your property manager, CPA, and mortgage servicers.

Transfer-on-death deed support. WillMaker includes transfer-on-death deed documents for the states that allow them — a simpler alternative to a trust for passing a single property to a named beneficiary without probate. About half the states recognize TOD deeds; check yours.

WillMaker vs the alternatives

Vs. an estate attorney ($1,500–$3,000). The attorney wins for complex estates: blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, estate tax exposure, business succession, contested dynamics. But most of what a straightforward landlord pays an attorney for — the will, the trust, the POAs — is exactly what WillMaker generates. The honest trade: you save $1,500+ and give up a lawyer's judgment on edge cases. For a simple estate, that's a good trade. For anything complicated, it isn't.

Vs. LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer. Both are online-only with higher bundle pricing, subscription-style upsells, and your data on their servers. WillMaker's edge: one-time purchase, local storage via the desktop download, and 39 years of Nolo legal editing. Our Rocket Lawyer vs Nolo comparison covers the legal-document side, and LawDepot is another budget alternative.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Living trust at the $149 Plus tier — the highest-value estate document for landlords, at a fraction of attorney cost.
• Local storage option: your will, trust, and asset details never leave your computer if you use the desktop version.
• State-specific documents for all 50 states, kept current by Nolo's legal editors.
• Family members create documents free under one purchase — effectively ~$75/person for a couple.
• Free revisions for the first year; $40 updates after that vs. hundreds for an attorney amendment.
• 39-year track record; featured and reviewed by major outlets for decades.

Cons

• No attorney review — the software can't tell you your plan has a hole. Complex estates still need a lawyer.
• Starter tier at $109 omits the trust and power of attorney — the two documents landlords need most. It's a weak value; Plus is the real product.
• A living trust only works if you fund it (retitle properties into the trust) — the software can't do that step for you.
• No mobile app; the desktop download is PC/Mac only.
• After year one, ongoing edits cost $40 per update period — minor, but the "buy once" framing has an asterisk.

Who should skip WillMaker

Skip it if: your estate is genuinely complex — blended family with potential disputes, a special-needs child, estate tax exposure (federally that's estates over ~$13M+, but some states tax far lower), business succession beyond simple rentals, or property in multiple states with conflicting rules. Skip it if you want a lawyer's eyes on the final documents for peace of mind. And skip the Starter tier as a landlord — without the trust and power of attorney, it doesn't solve your problem; either buy Plus or buy nothing.

FAQ

Is a WillMaker will legally valid?

Yes, when executed according to your state's formalities (signature, witnesses, sometimes notarization). WillMaker generates state-specific documents and explains the execution requirements. The documents are as legally valid as attorney-drafted ones — what you're not getting is legal advice, not legal validity.

Does WillMaker really keep my data private?

The downloadable desktop version stores everything locally on your computer — your documents never upload to Nolo's servers. The online version does store data in the cloud like any web app. If privacy is the priority, use the desktop download.

How is WillMaker different from LegalZoom?

Three main differences: (1) WillMaker is a one-time purchase ($109–$219) vs. LegalZoom's higher bundle pricing and upsell structure; (2) WillMaker offers true local storage via the desktop version; (3) LegalZoom pushes attorney consultations as upsells while WillMaker is pure DIY. Both produce valid documents for straightforward estates.

Can I update my will after the first year?

Yes. Free unlimited revisions for the first year, then $40 for each additional update period. You keep access to your documents even without renewing — you just pay if you want to make changes.

Bottom line

For a landlord with a straightforward estate, WillMaker Plus at $149 is one of the best-value purchases in personal finance. A living trust that keeps your properties out of probate, a will, powers of attorney, and health care directives — generated in an afternoon, stored on your own computer, updatable for $40 a pop. The Starter tier is a trap for landlords (no trust, no POA); skip it. Complex estates still need an attorney, and nothing in software replaces legal judgment. But "I haven't gotten around to estate planning" stops being an excuse at $149.

Pair this with the bigger picture in our estate planning for landlords guide — the will and trust are the foundation, but LLCs, beneficiary designations, and operating agreements are part of the same plan.

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