Last Will and Testament Legal Forms Kit Review: DIY Will Package Basics

The honest review of a forms kit

A Last Will and Testament Legal Forms Kit is the Amazon-grade minimum — pre-printed forms with fill-in-the-blank fields and instructions. Real talk: a forms kit is better than no will, and worse than basically every other alternative.

What the kit includes

• Simple will template (one-person, one-state)
• Instructions for witnessing and notarization
• Self-proving affidavit template
• Executor acknowledgment form
• Wallet card for document location

When a forms kit is appropriate

• You have no will currently and any will is better than none
• Single household, simple estate — one bank account, no real estate, no dependents
• Short-term placeholder while you schedule an attorney consultation
• College-age / early-career filer with minimal assets

When a forms kit is NOT appropriate

• You have minor children. Guardianship designations need care that template forms don't address
• You own real estate. Title transfer, beneficiary deeds, TOD provisions vary by state
• You have retirement accounts. Beneficiary designations on 401(k)s and IRAs supersede will instructions; a forms kit doesn't alert you to this
• You have business interests. Succession for S-corp shares, LLC interests, partnership stakes is complex
• You have a blended family. Second marriages + stepchildren + prior-marriage obligations create contest risk
• Your estate exceeds state exemption thresholds. Federal and state estate tax planning are not in scope

Better alternatives by complexity

• Simple estate + small budget: Use LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, or Trust & Will — online services with attorney review options ($50-$300)
• Senior starter plan: Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust (~$90) — software-based, more comprehensive than a forms kit
• Complex or high-value estate: Local estate-planning attorney ($1,500-$5,000+) — worth every dollar

What this kit does better than nothing

Witnessing and self-proving affidavit instructions — most DIY wills fail not on content but on execution (wrong number of witnesses, wrong notarization). The kit's instructions on this are actually solid.

The verdict

If you're reading this with no will and no budget, buy the kit, fill it out, have it witnessed properly, and mark your calendar to upgrade within 6 months. Don't let "perfect" prevent "any." But don't stop at a forms kit if your situation has any complexity.