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13 August 2026, Employee Benefits
Most Canadians don't have a will but Medavie Blue Cross is betting that employer-sponsored benefits plans can change that by launching a digital estate planning platform through its Connected Care ecosystem in partnership with LegalWills.
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12 May 2026, Moolala: Money Made Simple podcast
Tim Hewson, CEO and co-founder of Legal Wills, breaks down how estate planning has evolved in the digital age from Bitcoin and frequent flyer miles to iPhoto libraries and legacy account holders and why every adult needs an up-to-date will.
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8 January 2026, CTV News
Tim Hewson, the CEO of LegalWills, to tell us why writing a will is the ultimate new year’s resolution.
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11 November 2025, Secure Your Legacy - Tim Hewson, LegalWills
For anyone considering estate‑planning — from first‑time wills to advanced strategies. Tim Hewson reveals how the digital transformation of legal services is helping ordinary people protect their assets and make meaningful decisions.
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24 October 2025, Tim Hewson from LegalWillls on Houston Business Radio
Tim Hewson is the co-founder of USLegalWills.com, an innovative online platform that has helped over 500,000 people create Wills and estate planning documents with ease. Originally from the UK and now based in Canada, Tim launched the service in 2001 to break down barriers in end-of-life planning.
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2 October 2025, Your Estate Matters Podcast
Nicole speaks with Tim Hewson, co-founder of LegalWills, about the rise of online wills and their impact on estate planning. They discuss how technology is making wills more accessible, secure, and affordable, while also addressing common barriers and misconceptions. The conversation covers the benefits and limitations of online will services, the role of AI, and the growing trend of charitable giving through wills. Listeners gain practical insights into modern estate planning and the importance of thoughtful legacy decisions.
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24 September 2025
After watching friends and family go through the laborious process of managing an estate, more executors are insisting on completed death binders before agreeing to take on the role, say experts in the death planning industry.
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5 June 2025, Rodd Duff interviews Tim Hewson about the online estate planning industry.
Rodd Duff interviews Tim Hewson about the online estate planning industry.
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16 April 2025, Tim Hewson interview at Akoni Technologies
In this episode of Akoni Tech Talks, we sit down with Tim Hewson, Co-Founder and CEO of LegalWills, a Canadian company revolutionising estate planning. Tim shares his journey of creating LegalWills, which was among the first to offer online estate planning services in Canada. He discusses how a casual conversation about the importance of writing wills sparked the idea for the business, highlighting the gap in the market for accessible, affordable will-writing tools. With a background in e-commerce, Tim and his co-founder, Henry, combined their skills to build a technology-driven solution to simplify the estate planning process. Tim also explores the challenges they faced, from convincing people to trust online platforms for such sensitive tasks to navigating industry resistance. He delves into how innovations like LifeLocker, Vault, Keyholder options, and Mirror Wills have transformed estate planning, offering people greater security and control over their assets.
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14 March 2025, Tim Hewson on Canada's Entrepreneur Podcast
Tim Hewson is a successful business leader with experience in telecommunications, e-commerce, business management, and more. Tim Hewson, CEO of LegalWills, joins Canada's Podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial journey.
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20 February 2025
To set up specific instructions for loved ones, you can create a will through U.S. Legal Wills. The online will making tool asks questions about your estate to help you line up information your executor can use to properly distribute assets. You can also tap into additional features, such as a mirror capability that lets you share data between spousal accounts.
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1 January 2025
US Legal Wills has one of the most affordable will options we've seen, offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. Plus, it's one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have assets outside the U.S.
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18 November 2024, Hands holding heart
When it comes to divvying up assets and other fiscal matters in an estate, research shows that Canadians are concerned with making an impact once they've passed away.
LegalWills, a provider of online estate planning, has revealed Canadians have bequeathed $380.8 Million to charitable organizations through LegalWills in the last several years, according to its latest research.
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20 September 2024, Listen to The Today's Wills and Probate podcast about LegalWills
Tim Hewson joins the Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss LegalWills – his Canadian-based technology company providing will writing and estate planning services in Canada and North America. On the general trends over the past 20+ years in the sector Tim bemoans the speed of innovation and change, identifying it often needs legislative intervention and lobbying to enact. But greater acceptance of digital in our daily lives has made online wills more accessible and acceptable, which, says Tim, can only be a good thing.
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19 August 2024, Listen to The Business Line podcast about LegalWills
Today on the show we sit down with the Owner & Founder of LegalWills, Tim Hewson! In this episode, we explore the inception of LegalWills, the hurdles of disrupting the legal industry, and the journey from bootstrapping to success. Tim shares insightful stories about entering different markets, the evolution of digital will creation, and the importance of having a will for financial planning. A must-watch for aspiring entrepreneurs and those intrigued by the intersection of law and technology!
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23 July 2024
Today, anybody can easily create their own will without legal counsel by using affordable online tools like Willful, LegalWills, or other will templates. These DIY will kits make it easy to list your assets, itemize your belongings, and name the beneficiaries who will receive them. One of the main advantages of creating your own will is the cost savings. Lawyers don't come cheap, and DIY options allow you to allocate those funds elsewhere.
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17 June 2024
While reputable online will-making software has been available for years, these partnerships are likely one sign of the financial industry's effort to get ready for what has come to be known as “the great wealth transfer,” as the affluent generation entering retirement begins to pass on assets to their younger heirs. "I think potentially there's more at stake because of this wealth transfer for two reasons. Firstly, more wealth in the baby boomers and a more pressing need in the next generation – the millennials and Gen Z – needing that," said Tim Hewson, chief executive officer of LegalWills, a web-based will-drafting service.
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9 June 2024
Estate planning can seem daunting, especially if you think it requires hiring a lawyer. After all, good lawyers don't come cheap, and it's hard to trust a cheap lawyer. Thankfully, you can create a will without a lawyer using DIY will kits or online templates from services like Willful or LegalWills.ca.
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9 June 2024
You need a will and if you don't have one yet, or if it's out of date, get one set up as soon as you're done reading this article. You don't need to go through a lawyer anymore if your situation is straightforward. These days, you can make a digital will with companies like Willful, LegalWills and Epilogue Wills, and the cost starts around $100.
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1 April 2024
US Legal Wills are very affordable compared to many other companies or the average rates of hiring a lawyer to prepare your document. Each of their products and services come at a different price point, but all of them stay well below the market’s average. Our bottom line is that this is a hugely popular online will service with a sufficient reputation and some great revision features.
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23 January 2024, Listen to the Fintech Impact podcast about LegalWills
Jason Pereira interviews Tim Hewson, CEO of LegalWills, an online platform providing millions of users with a simple and accessible solution for creating legal and compliant wills. Tim discusses the importance of having a will, the challenges of estate planning, and how Legal Wills aims to demystify the process.
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11 November 2023
US Legal Wills harnesses the power of technology for ease and efficiency. Its platform is designed to be intuitive, eliminating the need for any legal expertise on the user’s part. Encryption ensures that sensitive personal information remains secure. Additionally, the platform is updated to reflect any changes in state laws, ensuring that the generated wills remain compliant.
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21 August 2023
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential have captivated the world. It is a powerful tool, but should you entrust the creation of your last Will and testament to AI?
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18 May 2023
Two leading online platforms, LegalWills and NotaryPro, have an extended partnership to make it even easier and more convenient for Canadians to create and virtually commission or notarize their Wills in the first fully digital process.
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17 May 2023
LegalWills and NotaryPro unveil ground-breaking partnership.
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14 April 2023
The best way to think of this service is like a TurboTax for estate planning. The software behind U.S. Legal Wills is very similar to what estate lawyers use in their own offices when they draft a will for their clients.
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13 March 2023, Listen to the Executor Help podcast about LegalWills
David concludes his conversation with Tim Hewson, CEO of LegalWills. Learn how creating a Will can reduce stress and anxiety.
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6 March 2023, Listen to the Executor Help podcast about LegalWills
Over 55% of Canadian and American adults do not have an estate plan which includes a Will. David has a conversation with Tim Hewson, CEO of LegalWills, on the importance of planning for the future and why getting a Will is critical.
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13 January 2023, Listen to The Shift podcast with Patty Handysides about LegalWills.ca
Meridian, Ontario's largest credit union and second largest in Canada announced new partnerships with both LegalWills.ca and Willful, two of Canada's leading online estate planning companies. An Angus Reid survey found that 57% of Ontarians don't have a will, and of those who do, 1 in 10 are out of date.
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12 January 2023
"The single most important thing you can do to ensure that your wealth is passed onto your loved ones is to keep an inventory of your assets somewhere," said Tim Hewson, CEO and co-founder of U.S. Legal Wills.
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3 January 2023
U.S. Legal Wills is surprisingly robust given its low cost. You can prepare documents that address a variety of circumstances and can have your documents reviewed by a lawyer if you wish.
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18 November 2022, Watch the Daytime Ottawa TV interview with Tim Hewson, LegalWills.ca
Tim Hewson from LegalWills shares details on the importance of Wills, and their online service which makes it simple to prepare a Will.
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17 November 2022, Listen to the Canadian MoneySaver podcast about LegalWills.ca
Ellen Roseman speaks with Tim Hewson from LegalWills.ca about why everyone needs a Will and the problems that are created when there isn't one upon death! They also talk about reasons that people give why they haven't yet gotten one and tips and tricks when you do decide to get a Will.
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16 November 2022, Listen to the NewsTalk 1010 article about LegalWills.ca
What happens if you die without a Will? We find out with Tim Hewson, co-founder and CEO of LegalWills.ca.
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1 November 2022, Watch the CHCH TV interview with Tim Hewson, LegalWills.ca
Did you know that over half of Canadians don't have a Will? To help change that during Make a Will month, we welcomed the co-founder and CEO of legalwills.ca, Tim Hewson.
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25 August 2022, Tim Hewson, CEO of LegalWills.ca, interviewed by Wealth Professional Canada
With 80% of people having no wills or an outdated one, there is a cheaper, convenient option on the market that might help you persuade your clients that they should finally get their wills done. LegalWills.ca began 20 years ago to give people the opportunity to write their own will. While it's not the only online option, it is one of the cheapest at $49.95.
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14 July 2022, Listen to the iHeart Radio podcast about LegalWills.ca
What happens to your social media account after you die? We find out with Tim Hewson, co-founder and CEO of LegalWills.ca.
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11 July 2022, Listen to the Startup Talk podcast about LegalWills.ca
Tim Hewson, founder of LegalWills.ca, joins the Startup Coach on this episode of The Startup Talk Podcast to discuss the need and reluctance to do Wills, the changing regulatory environment, expanding globally, and more.
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28 June 2022
What happens to your social media accounts after you die? Half of Canadians haven't got a Will. We'll show you the fastest, simplest option out there with Tim Hewson from LegalWills.ca. Listen to Jeff Sammut interview LegalWills.ca CEO, Tim Hewson, on the Sirius Satellite Radio, Canada Now program.
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9 March 2022
To make a Will online at LegalWills.co.uk, you answer a series of questions about your wishes, spanning 9 different sections. Their Will experts can offer help at each step of the online Will-making process, to make sure your wishes are being met.
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15 February 2022
What would happen to your family if you died suddenly? If you have an up to date will and term life insurance, you can be confident you've done your best to provide an answer.
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12 January 2022
Online Will writing is exploding in Canada, fueled by entrepreneurs who see a need in the market, better technology, changing demographics, and of course, COVID-19 making us all more aware of our mortality.
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5 January 2022
Most Canadians don't have a Will, but everybody needs one. We are addressing the barriers to preparing a Will by making the process affordable and convenient.
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31 December 2021
Legalwills.ca is an online platform that was prepared for B.C.'s Dec. 1 changes by partnering with e-signature company Syngrafii. "The ability to sign online is a great idea in our modern age," said Royce Burningham, who executed his will with the company on Dec. 1.
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28 December 2021
Online estate planning company LegalWills.ca noted its sales spiked 300 per cent in March 2020. In response, the business ran a survey in February 2021 in which two-thirds of participants said writing a will was something they'd been meaning to do for a while, with about half indicating that the pandemic influenced them to draw up or update the document.
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22 December 2021
A survey conducted by LegalWills.ca earlier this year shows that more than half of participants decided to write or update their wills within the past 12 months because of the pandemic.
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20 December 2021
If you've got an old will, it's possible it's invalid now. Let this be your cue for a refresh. You can do your will through a lawyer (typically when your situation is a bit more complicated) or through an online platform like... Legalwills.ca.
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14 December 2021
LegalWills is one of a few companies to offer online will-making services across Canada, including in the province of Quebec, and is the first (and to date only) such service to offer the forms in French as well as English.
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5 April 2021
Canadian Legal Wills surveyed 10,000 clients who used their service in the last year and 53 per cent of people said COVID-19 was a factor in making them write their will, (Tim) Hewson said. "You don't write a will for your own benefit, you write it for the people you are leaving behind and if you don't write a will you are leaving chaos behind for your family".
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9 November 2020
US Legal Wills have online will kits that are incredibly fast to create. The process takes 20 minutes, yet is fully customizable with many options, the end document can also be reviewed by a lawyer. There’s a bunch of other legal documents to make use of, such as Trusts, Power of Attorneys and Expatriate Wills. These features make it truly stand out.
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17 August 2020
"We've certainly seen this year that trigger for writing a will has never been higher," said Tim Hewson, CEO and co-founder of LegalWills. About one will is completed every minute on LegalWills, said Hewson, who also saw a record number of people using the service in April.
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5 August 2020
LegalWills is offering Canadian education workers free wills and Health Care Power of Attorney documents in August as debate continues over how to reopen schools safely in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We wanted to do our part to support the education workers who are returning to school and risking their own health and safety during these uncertain times," said Tim Hewson, the estate planning company's chief executive officer and co-founder.
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31 July 2020
LegalWills is one of the biggest online will makers in the world. It offers legal (and licensed) estate planning services in the US, Canada, and the UK. But LegalWills offers one of the most cost-friendly services of this caliber. It also offers you free updates for a year and discounts for your other family members.
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14 May 2020
US Legal Wills has one of the most affordable will options we've seen, offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. Plus, it's one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have assets outside the U.S.
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23 April 2020
"April has been our busiest month in our 20 years of offering our services, by some margin," Tim Hewson, President of LegalWills.ca, said in an email to CTV News.
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1 April 2020
A similar uptick in usage is occurring at another online legal document creation company called Canadian Legal Wills. Tim Hewson, the co-founder and president of the company, said the rise in demand has been "unprecedented" across the company's operations in Canada, United States and the United Kingdom.
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12 March 2020
Legal Wills: Basic service with Wills prepared from an online questionnaire, printed by the customer then signed and witnessed. Legal Wills has received over 80 reviews on Google with an average score of 4.9 out of 5.0.
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31 January 2020
For instance, for less than one hundred dollars, LegalWills.ca does offer a lawyer-review service for your documents to offer what Hewson describes as "reassurances, suggestions, recommendations," but that report is provided via email. "We do have [this service] as a safeguard because we do have options that allow people to become quite creative with what they want to put in," says Hewson.
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4 January 2020
Thankfully, crossing off both a will and life insurance from your to-do list is getting easier and easier if you have a simple financial situation. Solutions like Willful and Legal Wills allow Canadians to make wills and set up a power of attorney online and for a fraction of the cost of seeing a lawyer.
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1 January 2020
U.S. Legal Wills is designed to offer all the legal documentation one might be in need of before the end of life. They have been in business for over 19 years and are run by Parting Wishes, Inc. which is the parent company of Parting Wishes. The products they offer consist of a Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney, Living Will, Expatriate Will, and Life Locker.
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4 December 2019
LegalWills.ca provides users access to wills and powers of attorney templates so that they can create their own estate-planning documents and store copies of them online securely after they have been executed. Although these services might lack personal connection and personalized legal advice, they may be a suitable alternative to formal lawyer-assisted estate planning for individuals who favour convenience and expediency.
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30 November 2019
What does LegalWills.co.uk offer? As well as offering you the ability to create single and mirror wills through its site, it provides some specialist services for US and Canadian expats.
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6 November 2019
To manage assets outside of the U.S. or set up specific instructions for loved ones, you can create a will through US Legal Wills. The online will-making tool asks questions about your estate to help you line up information your executor can use to properly distribute assets. You can also tap into additional features, such as a mirror capability that lets you share data between spousal accounts.
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30 October 2019
If you want to leave an inheritance to minors, you can set up a trust and name a trustee to manage it. "You can then decide in your will the age that you think is most appropriate for the minor to receive their inheritance," says Tim Hewson, founder and CEO of USLegalWills.com in New York.
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22 October 2019
Most online will makers only provide service if you live in the 50 U.S. states. US Legal Wills offers wills for expatriates who live outside the United States. You can also get a will if you have assets in Canada or the United Kingdom.
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21 October 2019
You can either write it on a blank piece of paper in your own handwriting or use an online interactive will service (LegalWills.ca). If anything, remember that your will must be signed and dated by yourself, and two attending witnesses that are not beneficiaries or your spouse, for good measure.
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15 October 2019
Despite knowing this, too many people put off gathering key documents together. Tim Hewson, president of USLegalWills.com, believes that "waiting for a 'more appropriate time' to put together your will is a mistake. Everybody should have a will. It should be written when you are young and updated throughout your life as your circumstances change."
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27 September 2019
Among the big errors is assuming that all assets will go to the surviving spouse if there are children. Failing to have someone in charge of the estate can also tear families apart, says Tim Hewson, president of LegalWills.ca.
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26 September 2019
"If you care about any people while you're alive to leave them without a will you're leaving people with such a mess," says Tim Hewson, president of LegalWills.ca, an online service available in Canada outside Quebec. Failing to have someone in charge of the estate can tear families apart, he said in an interview. "Families who have previously got along just fine, if there's no process, there's nobody in charge, then that can cause a lot of animosity and acrimony in families."
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29 June 2019
Tim Hewson, co-founder and CEO of USLegalWills.com: "I think estate planning has seen a dramatic change over the last decade or so. Dozens of websites offer online estate planning services that have become more and more sophisticated. Between them, millions of wills and other estate planning documents have been created, but not one of these websites is offered by a law firm."
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11 June 2019
LegalWills.caa has been providing Canadians with online estate planning products for almost 20 years, a fact which lends to their credibility in the industry. That said, their top selling point is affordability. With Legalwills.ca, you can receive a last will and testament for as little as $49.95, while a couple's package that includes a will, and power of attorney for you and your spouse, is only $144.
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29 May 2019
Tim Hewson was thirty-two when he co-founded Legal Wills, in 2000, after he realized how ill prepared he and his friends were: one night while out for after-work drinks, his group realized not one person at the table had a will. He soon left his job at a tech company and cofounded his web service, where clients can pay to have their wills prepared online.
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4 March 2019
Tim Hewson, chief executive officer of USLegalWills.com, an online service based in New York City that helps people write their wills, said that confusion often reigns when people die without a will. As Hewson said, if you die without a will, people will inevitably try to claim parts of your estate. Resentment might result when someone finally steps up to take responsibility. The person who wants to handle the disbursement of your estate will have to apply through a court process to be officially appointed as the estate administrator. While this happens, your assets will be frozen.
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9 January 2019
If you use an online service, you'll have access to software that guides you through the process. "You don't receive any legal advice with this option," says Tim Hewson, president of USLegalWills.com. Many of the online options allow you to make updates over time if your circumstances change. Asking for professional help to create a will gives you the opportunity to have an expert help you think through details. "This is likely to give you a well-drafted will, but it is the most expensive and least convenient approach," Hewson says.
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27 December 2018
USLegalWills.com allows you to make your will at home by simply filling in a form and answering questions. With a fee of approximately $40, it's a more affordable option for young professionals or those with young children.
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15 December 2018
According to U.S. Legal Wills, approximately eight out of nine with a will have not included a charitable beneficiary among their heirs (<a href="https://www.uslegalwills.com/blog/planned-giving/">https://www.uslegalwills.com/blog/planned-giving/</a>).
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27 October 2018, Watch the Global News Article about LegalWills.ca
Like saving for retirement, writing a legal Will is a financial must-do. In this edition of our Money 123 series, online journalist Erica Alini looks at what can happen when someone dies without a Will. LegalWills.ca has been online since 2003 and today serves every province and territory in Canada, including Québec, in both English and French.
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20 October 2018
But perhaps most importantly, LegalWills allows for unlimited free updates to your will, which means you don't have to pay a lawyer if, say, you have another child or get divorced. Still, if you'd like to get a legal opinion on your online draft, the site will connect you to a lawyer who'll review what you have.
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31 July 2018
LegalWills.ca is the most affordable and comprehensive online will service. Its longevity is an advantage, as many of its will have gone through the probate process without any reported issues.
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6 November 2017
Hewson, who is also CEO of LegalWills.ca, has 17 years of experience under his belt providing Canadians step-by-step support for creating Wills. Having a Will is only the first task, he said. Maintaining the document throughout your lifetime ensures that your estate plan goals will be carried out in your best interest and in the best interest of your heirs.
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13 September 2017
Online services, like the one provided by Beyond and LegalWills.co.uk are becoming more sophisticated, but are built from the same software used by estate planning solicitors. So, although you are not receiving legal advice, the final document is in many cases word for word identical to one prepared by a solicitor.
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14 July 2017
If you don't want to write a basic will yourself, you can use online templates from places like Quicken, LegalZoom, and USLegalWills, all of which cost less than $100.
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3 May 2017
Half of Canadians haven't got a Will. We'll show you the fastest, simplest option out there with Tim Hewson from LegalWills.ca.
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30 June 2016
It's not just young people without a lot of assets. Among seniors age 65 and older, only half have up-to-date wills in place, the survey found. "We really wanted to explore this group after hearing from people who had a will, but had it written before they got married or had children," said Tim Hewson, CEO of USLegalWills.com, in the press release. "In essence, although they technically had a will, it was worthless."
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21 June 2016, Watch the CTV News Article about LegalWills.ca
LegalWills.ca creates custom will documents online for about $40. To create an online will, users set up an account, answer a series of questions, and then print the documents. The site promises the entire process will only take about 20 minutes. Since hiring a lawyer to draft a will can potentially cost more than $1,000, the price is attractive for many people looking for a cheaper alternative.
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15 June 2016
This company is an online will-writing service that uses software to create an interactive experience that results in the customer having a new will. Here is one of the statements made in their report: <em>"The service at LegalWills.ca uses the exact same software used by estate planning lawyers across Canada. So the final product is usually word-for-word identical to a Will produced by a law office."</em>
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19 May 2016
USLegalWills.com posted a 61 percent surge in the number of people completing a will in the three weeks after Prince's death. Prince's relatives, meanwhile, face the expensive and time-consuming process of a state-ordered probate.
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20 April 2016
The service at ExpatLegalWills.com allows you to prepare a Will to cover your assets in the UK, the US and Canada, written to deal exclusively with those assets. It differs from other Will preparation services in that a Will created at ExpatLegalWills.com can work together with a Will written for your new country of residence.
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11 November 2015
And some assets like digital currencies, video game characters and Internet domain names exist only in cyberspace. "So they can be overlooked, since they aren't as tangible," said Tim Hewson, president of USLegalWills.com, adding that such assets "can be worth tens of thousands of dollars."
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23 June 2015
Staples has long offered fill-in-the-blank will kits for $19.95. Companies like LegalWills.ca offer interactive online wills for $49.95. And Walmart jumped into the will market last year, offering $99 wills through Axess Law Offices in some of their Ontario stores.
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22 February 2013
At USLegalWills.com you can step through a series of questions to create a custom, inexpensive, legal will that you can update at any time at no extra charge. The interactive software will catch errors that you might make with a paper form.
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8 July 2010
With a little homework and prep on your part, you can minimize the cost of working with a lawyer. Will preparation checklists will help. Or, you could draft your own will with help from such websites as LegalWills.ca