Cobalt Estate Planning

Estate planning is the process of organizing your assets, healthcare decisions, and final wishes so they're handled according to your preferences — both during your lifetime and after your passing. It helps protect your loved ones and avoid unnecessary legal complications.

An estate plan ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes and that someone you trust can make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. It can also provide for your loved ones, name guardians for minor children, and help avoid probate court. Without a plan, state laws will determine how your assets are handled.

A will is a legal document that outlines how your assets should be distributed after your death and names guardians for minor children. It goes through probate court. A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee holds assets for beneficiaries. Trusts can offer more control, privacy, and help avoid probate, but are generally more complex to set up.

Yes, documents created through reputable online estate planning services like Legal Karma are legally reliable, provided they are properly signed, witnessed, and notarized according to your state's laws. Legal Karma provides clear instructions and guidance to help you complete your documents. For specific legal advice, please schedule an appointment with a qualified attorney.

Yes — you can still create a will or trust even if you already have healthcare documents like a living will or healthcare power of attorney. Those healthcare documents cover only medical decisions, not what happens to your property. A will directs who receives your assets after you pass and names guardians or executors, while a trust can help your assets avoid probate and provide more control over how and when they're distributed. Having both sets of documents ensures your healthcare wishes and your financial and estate matters are fully covered.

No. A will must go through probate be approved as valid by a court and carry out the terms of the will. With a will, the probate process is required to administer the will, pay debts and taxes, and transfer ownership of property.

Funding a revocable trust involves transferring ownership or title of your assets from your name to the trust's name. Common assets that should be funded into your trust include real estate, bank accounts, investment accounts, and other titled property. To do this, contact the respective financial institutions, title companies, etc., and complete the necessary paperwork provided by the entity. They may ask for a copy of your signed trust certificate. Funding your trust is a very important step — if you do not change the title/ownership of your assets to your revocable trust, you will not avoid probate.

There are no requirements in any state to keep a will or trust on file before death. However, some states (such as Michigan or Wisconsin) allow you to deposit a will with the probate court for safekeeping before death. This is optional and not a requirement. Please check with your local county clerk for more information. 

There are certain estate planning strategies that may help you avoid probate, such as creating a revocable living trust, designating beneficiaries for your assets, and establishing joint ownership of property.

If you have an outdated estate plan that was created outside of Legal Karma, you can easily create a new one with our affordable plans offered as a credit union member.
It's generally recommended to review your estate plan after any major life event or at least every 3–5 years.

Please note:

• Your new estate plan will supersede your outdated estate plan.
• We currently do not offer Trust amendments, but they are coming soon!

Get started in 5 easy steps:

1. Visit our website and navigate to the estate planning
2.Take a short 2-3 minute quiz to help you choose your plan
3. Pick the plan that best fits your needs
4. Completed a guided, self-paced questionnaire
5. Your personalized Estate Plan will be ready in 3-5 business days, then all you need to do is notarize the documents at your convenience.

Have questions or need help completing your documents?
You can call our dedicated support team at 402.988.1542. Or you can book a free consultation with an estate planning specialist using the easy-to-schedule link here.

Once your documents are finalized, you'll receive them digitally through your dashboard. However, your estate plan isn't effective until your documents are properly signed, witnessed, and notarized according to your state's requirements. We provide detailed signing instructions with your completed documents, and our support team is available to walk you through every step. We recommend reviewing these instructions as soon as you receive them so you can plan ahead. 

We currently do not offer this service. Your documents will be emailed to you. Please check with your credit union or a localprinter (ie, Post Office, Staples, or FedEx) for printing options.

Yes. Most estate planning documents require notarization and witnesses to be legally valid. The specific requirements vary by state, but you should plan to have your documents signed in front of a notary public and, in most cases, one or two independent witnesses. Witnesses generally cannot be anyone named in or related to you in your documents. If you need help finding a notary or understanding your state's requirements, our support team is happy to assist.

Once your documents are signed and notarized, please store the originals in a safe place, such as a home safe. You'll also find detailed instructions specific to your state included in your package under "Instructions for Execution of Documents for Nebraska/Iowa."

Yes, you can make changes to your estate plan at any time. As part of the Legal Karma service, you receive two complimentary rounds of edits within the first 180 days of purchase to update your estate plan.

Note: If you need to make changes to your estate plan outside of the 180-day window, this will result in the cost of a new estate plan.
If you need to make edits, you can chat with us in the estate planning portal or call our dedicated support team at 402.988.1542, and our team will be happy to help ensure your documents are to your satisfaction.

Your plan purchase covers your creation of all your estate planning documents and unlimited access to our support team. However, there are some external costs to be aware of: notarization fees vary by state but are generally modest, and if your plan includes a trust, you may need to work with a title company or attorney to transfer real estate into your trust, which can typically range from $100–$200 depending on your location. We want you to be fully prepared, so we recommend budgeting for these steps in advance. 

If you're not completely satisfied with your plan, you can get a full refund within 30 days of purchase.

After downloading your forms, follow the instructions to execute/finalize the documents in your package. Sign and notarize the forms with witnesses when required and store the originals in a safe location (secure location at home) and make copies. We recommend that you provide your agent copies of your medical power of attorney and living will/advance directive incase of emergency. If you have created a revocable trust, we recommend that you make extra copies of the trust certificate as you will need to provide financial institutions, title companies, etc. this document for trust funding purposes.