Washington, D.C. (March 17, 2026) – In February, the Legacy, Innovation & Virtual Estate Planning (LIVE) Coalition was launched to advance digital estate planning legislation and equitable access nationwide. LIVE is the first advocacy organization dedicated to modernizing America’s estate planning laws for the digital age. 

Led by Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Empathy, and Proof, the LIVE Coalition brings together 30 organizations and individuals working to update the nation’s estate planning framework to enable secure, digital solutions.

Today, only 24% of Americans have a will, with an even lower percentage for Black and Hispanic households. Currently, only 15 states and the District of Columbia allow individuals to execute wills electronically. Even fewer states permit electronic trusts, health care directives, or powers of attorney. Despite significant advances in technology and rising consumer expectations for digital services, many state laws still assume a world of wet-ink signatures, paper documents, and in-person requirements. These outdated laws create unnecessary barriers for families and slow progress toward a more accessible, modern, and future-ready estate planning system.

The LIVE Coalition aims to move the legal world forward by amplifying the voice of the digital estate planning industry and advancing thoughtful legislative reform. A central focus of the coalition’s work is addressing persistent misconceptions around remote online notarization, including concerns about fraud, digital document security, and the potential displacement of attorneys. LIVE contends that modern digital processes can incorporate robust identity verification, tamper-evident records, and comprehensive audit trails, safeguards that strengthen, rather than weaken, the integrity of electronically executed estate planning documents. LIVE also argues that digital tools will empower attorneys to better serve their clients and expand their reach to more clients.

As additional states consider electronic execution of estate planning documents, including pending legislation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Utah, and Minnesota, the LIVE Coalition will educate policymakers and stakeholders about the benefits of modernizing estate planning laws. At a time when fewer than one-third of Americans have a will, supporters say modernizing execution requirements and embracing secure digital tools could remove barriers, expand access to estate planning, and help the law keep pace with the realities of the digital age.