Best Estate Planning Software in 2026

Estate planning software divides into two distinct categories: drafting software (templates and document assembly) and case management software (client tracking, billing, signing coordination). Most established estate planning firms use both — one for documents, one for practice operations.

This guide compares the six platforms estate planning firms most commonly evaluate in 2026: WealthCounsel, ElderCounsel, Trust & Will, GEM, Interactive Legal, and Deelo. The angle each takes, what firm size they serve best, and where the total cost lands after you add companion tools.

Deelo takes a different angle — rather than being an estate-specific platform, Deelo is an all-in-one business platform where estate planning firms use CRM for client intake and life-event tracking, Projects for engagement matters, Docs for will/trust templates with merge fields, ESign for signing ceremonies (with remote online notarization integrations), Invoicing for flat-fee billing, Bookings for consultation and signing ceremony scheduling, Marketing for life-event triggered emails (annual plan review reminders, birthday messages), and the AI assistant for drafting support letters and summaries.

Custom fields on a client handle spouse information, children details, trust beneficiary designations, life events, and plan review dates. At $19/seat/month, a 3-attorney firm runs the full operation for $57/month.

The trade-off: Deelo doesn't replace WealthCounsel or Interactive Legal for firms doing advanced tax planning. The templates you build in Deelo's Docs app can handle basic-to-mid-market estate planning (wills, basic revocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives) but require 3-5 days of initial template setup. For firms serving $10M+ estates with dynasty trusts and complex tax planning, WealthCounsel or Interactive Legal remains essential. For firms doing basic and mid-market work (the majority of estate planning practices), Deelo + occasional engagement of specialty tools saves 80%+ of monthly software costs.

WealthCounsel is the dominant estate planning drafting software used by the majority of established practices in 2026. Comprehensive template library covering wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and advanced structures. Strong customization (state-specific, firm-specific language). Integrated estate planning education through Wealth Counsel Academy.

Price ($200-400/attorney/month) is premium positioning. Requires separate case management software (typically Clio Manage or PracticePanther). Total stack for a 3-attorney firm: $750-1,500/month. The documents it produces are recognized by banks, brokerages, and courts as professional-grade.

ElderCounsel is WealthCounsel's sibling product focused specifically on elder law. Medicaid planning templates, veterans benefits (VA Aid & Attendance) documents, special needs trusts, guardianship documents. Strong for elder law specialty practices.

Price ($150-250/attorney/month) is accessible. Most elder law practices use ElderCounsel + separate CMS. Firms mixing estate planning with elder law often subscribe to both ElderCounsel and WealthCounsel ($350-650/month combined per attorney).

Interactive Legal (now owned by Gassman Crotty Denicolo) is the drafting software of choice for high-net-worth estate planning practices. Deep template library for GRATs, CLATs, QPRTs, IDGTs, dynasty trusts, and advanced tax planning. Considered the most technically sophisticated drafting system.

Price ($300-500/attorney/month) reflects specialty positioning. Typically used by LLM-in-tax attorneys serving $10M+ estates. Overkill for basic estate planning practices. Underrated for its thoroughness in tax compliance.

Trust & Will started as a direct-to-consumer estate planning service and expanded into attorney-facing tools. Modern, clean UI. Strong client-portal experience (clients can log in, upload documents, see their plan). Limited template depth compared to WealthCounsel — works for basic and mid-market planning, less for advanced.

Price ($149/month per attorney for Pro tier) is reasonable. Best for firms that prioritize modern client experience over template depth. Some firms use Trust & Will for standard work and WealthCounsel for advanced.

GEM focuses on estate and trust administration (post-death, post-disability) rather than planning. Track estates through probate, manage trustee obligations, file fiduciary income tax returns. Essential for practices with meaningful probate/administration volume.

Price ($100-300/month) scales with firm size. Typically paired with drafting software (WealthCounsel) for practices handling both planning and administration. Less relevant for pure planning practices.

Solo or 2-attorney firm, basic-to-mid-market clients: Deelo alone ($19/seat/month) with templated documents. 3-5 days setup, 80%+ cost savings.

Established mid-market estate planning firm (3-10 attorneys): WealthCounsel + Clio Manage. Industry-standard stack, ~$300-500/attorney/month.

Elder law specialty practice: ElderCounsel + case management. ElderCounsel's Medicaid and elder-specific templates are essential.

High-net-worth practice ($5M+ estates): Interactive Legal (Gassman Crotty) + WealthCounsel + Clio. The premium stack reflects the premium clientele.

Practice with significant probate/administration work: Add GEM on top of drafting software.

Cost-conscious firm serving $500K-$3M estates: Deelo + occasional WealthCounsel subscription for complex cases. Or Trust & Will Pro for modern UI at reasonable price.