Estate Planning: PortfolioPilot vs Rocket Lawyer

Roughly one-third of US adults have a will (32% in 2024), meaning most families rely on state default rules during a stressful time. At the same time, probate typically runs ~9–12 months and can extend well beyond a year depending on the estate and state rules. Many people assume an online template or a single meeting will “finish” estate planning. The reality is messier: documents are necessary, but so are ongoing checklists, beneficiary maintenance, and coordination with taxes and investments. This article compares PortfolioPilot - which organizes and connects estate tasks to a person’s financial picture - against Rocket Lawyer, a subscription legal-document service. It highlights where each can help and where professional legal counsel may still be appropriate.

Key Takeaways

1. Different jobs: PortfolioPilot structures and tracks what to do next inside a person’s financial life; Rocket Lawyer provides legal documents and attorney Q&A access.
2. Ongoing vs one-time: Estate plans drift. PortfolioPilot’s reminders and portfolio links can surface updates; Rocket Lawyer focuses on drafting and editing documents.
3. Beneficiary accuracy matters: Certain accounts pass outside the will, beneficiary forms typically control these assets.
4. Use them together thoughtfully: Many investors prepare with PortfolioPilot, then finalize with an attorney or a document platform such as Rocket Lawyer for execution.

PortfolioPilot: Estate Planning That Lives Inside the Financial Plan

PortfolioPilot can help self-directed investors see their full financial picture, including brokers, retirement plans, real estate, and cash, and get ongoing, personalized guidance. It does not draft legal documents.

How PortfolioPilot approaches estate planning:

• Preparation, not document drafting: Translates accounts, titles, and household details into a personalized estate checklist - so a person can walk into a lawyer’s office already organized.
• Automatic nudges and reviews: Alerts to revisit beneficiaries, add a POA/health directive, or address account/title changes when life events happen.
• Connected to taxes and portfolios: Surfaces estate-related items in context (e.g., account titling, TOD/POD designations, RMD considerations, or where trusts could affect tax treatment, without giving legal advice).
• One place for priorities: Converts analysis into actionable next steps across retirement, portfolio risk, fees, and estate tasks, so planning isn’t siloed.
• Privacy within the financial ecosystem: Keeps estate planning as part of the user’s financial tools, no external document vaults required.

Why this matters: Estate planning is not just “sign and forget.” Accounts change, laws evolve, families grow. A living checklist that’s tied to the actual assets can reduce surprises, like outdated beneficiaries or missing powers of attorney, before they become costly or time-consuming during probate.

Rocket Lawyer: Document Creation and On-Demand Legal Help

Rocket Lawyer is an online legal platform that provides customizable legal documents (including wills, powers of attorney, and other estate forms) and access to attorney Q&A via a membership.

Where Rocket Lawyer tends to help:

• Drafting documents: Build or update wills, POAs, and related forms using guided workflows.
• Attorney questions: Members can ask lawyers questions about form language or state nuances.
• Iterating documents over time: Re-download or revise forms as household needs change.

Important context: Even well-prepared documents must still coordinate with beneficiary designations and titling. For example, many retirement accounts and insurance policies pass by beneficiary form, not by will; the form on file typically prevails. 

Side-by-Side: Jobs to Be Done

When PortfolioPilot often fits best

• A person wants estate planning tools integrated with their investment accounts, taxes, and risk controls.
• They value automatic reminders when portfolio or household details change.
• They plan to meet an attorney (or use a document service) and want to arrive with clarified wishes and a clean checklist.

When Rocket Lawyer often fits best

• A person needs documents now (will, POA, health directive) and wants guided templates with optional attorney Q&A.
• They expect to edit or re-download forms periodically as life evolves.
• They don’t need broad financial analysis in the same tool, just documents and legal help.

How can they complement each other

• Use PortfolioPilot to identify gaps (missing POA, outdated beneficiaries, unclear guardianship wishes).
• Use Rocket Lawyer (or an attorney) to execute documents that reflect those decisions.
• Revisit PortfolioPilot’s ongoing alerts to keep documents aligned with account changes over time.

The comparison is based on publicly available information from each provider’s website as of 11/19/2025. Features, fees, and methodologies may change over time. Portfolio Pilot does not offer legal advice.