Kinly vs an estate planning attorney: what each does
The short answer
An estate planning attorney gives legal advice and drafts documents tailored to your situation. Kinly is not a law firm and doesn't give legal advice. It provides four documents written for your state, a care plan, a 24/7 team and a trust company that can serve in your plan. Complex estates call for an attorney, and many people use both.
You know you need a will, a trust and powers of attorney. The question is who should help. You could sit down with an estate planning attorney, or you could look at a membership like Kinly, which also provides documents.
The two do different jobs, and they often work well together. This page explains what each one does, where they overlap and when an attorney is the right call. It is part of our guide to choosing professional help.
What an estate planning attorney does
An estate planning attorney is a lawyer licensed in your state. The core of the job is advice: looking at your family, your property and your goals, and telling you what the law allows and what you should do.
A good attorney will usually:
- Ask about your family, your property, your accounts and what you want to happen
- Explain the options, such as whether you need a trust or just a will
- Draft documents tailored to you, including unusual instructions
- Supervise the signing, so witnesses and notaries are handled correctly
- Answer legal questions later, and help your executor through probate if needed
What an attorney usually doesn't do is stand by afterward to act for you. Some lawyers serve as executor or trustee, but many prefer not to. Few will answer the phone at 2 a.m. when you're in the emergency room. Our page on attorney, trust company or family looks at that question.
Attorneys charge either a flat fee for a package of documents or by the hour. Our page on what an estate planning attorney costs shows published fee schedules.
What Kinly does
Kinly is a membership, $999 a year for one person or $1,499 for a couple. It is not a law firm, and it doesn't give legal advice.
The membership includes:
- Four legal documents written for your state: will, revocable trust, medical power of attorney and financial power of attorney
- A care plan: everything only you know, kept on file, and you can change it any time from your phone
- A team on call 24/7/365 with your plan in front of them, through the number on your membership card
- Trella Trust Company, a Washington State chartered trust company, named in any or all four roles, first or as backup to people you choose
The part an attorney usually doesn't offer is the standing by. Kinly can be named as your agent under a power of attorney, executor or trustee. A fiduciary in those roles is legally required to act in your interest and follow what you wrote. If the trust company steps in and does work, that work is charged by the hour, and you see the rates before anything starts.
Side by side
| Item | Estate planning attorney | Kinly |
|---|---|---|
| Legal advice | Yes, that's the core of the job | No; Kinly is not a law firm |
| Documents | Drafted and tailored to your situation | Will, revocable trust, medical and financial powers of attorney, written for your state |
| Complex situations | Yes: business, blended family, tax, special needs | Not designed for legal advice on these |
| Care plan | Not usually | Included, and you can change it any time |
| 24/7 phone line | Not usually | A team on call 24/7/365 |
| Serves in the roles | Some will; many prefer not to | Trella Trust Company can be named in any or all four roles |
| How you pay | Flat fee or hourly, usually one time, plus later updates | $999 a year for one person, $1,499 for a couple; hourly only if the trust company does work |
| Probate help later | Yes, for a fee | The trust company can be named executor; legal questions still need a lawyer |
When you need an attorney
Documents written for your state fit many households. Some situations call for a lawyer's judgment, and it's better to know that up front.
A blended family. If you have stepchildren, or children from more than one marriage, the default rules can surprise people. If you die without a will, state law decides who inherits. How much a spouse gets compared with children varies a lot by state, especially in blended families, and stepchildren generally don't inherit unless the law says so (Uniform Probate Code 2-102 and 2-103). A lawyer can plan around that.
A business. Owning a company, a share of a partnership or rental property with partners raises questions about who runs it and how it passes on.
Estate or inheritance tax. In 2026 the federal estate tax applies only to estates over $15 million per person (IRS). But 12 states and DC have their own estate tax, some starting at $1 million to $3 million, and five states have an inheritance tax paid by heirs (Tax Foundation). If your estate is near those lines, get tax advice.
Planning for long-term care costs. Federal Medicaid rules look back five years at gifts and transfers when you apply for long-term care (42 U.S.C. 1396p). Moving property to qualify is legal work. Our page on the Medicaid look-back explains the basics.
Other reasons. A family member with special needs, property in more than one country, a likely family dispute, or a question you just can't settle on your own. A lawyer is the right person for all of these.
Why many people use both
These aren't really competitors. An attorney answers "what should my plan say?" Kinly answers "who will carry it out, and who picks up the phone?"
A common pattern looks like this:
- Work with an attorney on the hard questions and the documents, especially if any of the situations above apply.
- Name a professional in the roles, first or as backup, so the plan has someone to act on it.
- Write down the small things in a care plan: the neighbor with the key, the dog's afternoon walk, which doctor you trust.
Here is a typical case, a composite: a retired nurse has an attorney draft a trust because she owns a rental duplex with her cousin. She names her niece as first trustee and a trust company as backup, and keeps her care plan current on her phone.
Kinly's own documents are written for your state, and you can bring questions to the free consultation. If your situation needs legal advice, you'll want a lawyer too. Our pages on whether you need a trust and online estate plans compared can help you sort out which tools fit.
Questions to ask an attorney
- Do you charge a flat fee or by the hour, and what's included?
- Will you supervise the signing, and does that cost extra?
- How do updates work if I move or my family changes?
- Will you serve as executor or trustee, and if not, who do you suggest?
- What happens to my file if you retire?
Our state-by-state guide explains how signing rules and documents differ where you live.
Common questions
Do I need an estate planning attorney?
Not always, but you should use one if you have a blended family, a business, an estate near a state's estate tax line, or long-term care planning to do. If your situation is simple, documents written for your state may be enough. When in doubt, a single consultation with a lawyer is worth it.
Is Kinly a law firm?
No. Kinly is a membership service. It provides four documents written for your state, a care plan, a 24/7 team and a trust company that can be named in your plan. It doesn't give legal advice.
What's the difference between legal advice and documents written for my state?
Legal advice means a lawyer looks at your situation and tells you what to do. Documents written for your state follow that state's rules for wills, trusts and powers of attorney, but nobody is advising you on your particular choices. If you're unsure which you need, start with the list of situations above.
Will an estate planning attorney serve as my executor?
Some will, and many prefer not to. If yours does, ask how they bill for it, since executor pay is set by state law or by your will. Some people name a trust company instead, or as backup.
Sources
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws vary by state.