Meet Herbie: The Modern Solution to Easy, Affordable Estate Planning

We’re thrilled to announce today that Herbie’s modern Estate Planning platform has officially launched in 9 states across the U.S., with plans to roll out to the rest of the country in the coming months.

With this launch, anyone in our first wave of states can now create a free, high quality Will, or upgrade to Herbie’s comprehensive Estate Plan – a paid subscription that includes all the essential legal documents needed to shape your legacy with intention, ensuring your wishes are honored and your loved ones are supported.

Making Estate Planning Accessible to All

For too long, estate planning and administration has felt overwhelming, expensive, and out of reach for the average family. 

Only about 24% of Americans have a Will today – down from 33% in 2022 – leaving the vast majority of families vulnerable to costly probate proceedings, lengthy legal disputes, and unwanted state intervention. From confusing paperwork to expensive attorney fees, traditional estate planning options make it hard for everyday people to take control of their future.

We built Herbie because we believe estate planning shouldn’t feel like a luxury. Everyone deserves an easy, clear, and affordable way to ensure their loved ones feel supported – not scrambling – when it matters most. 

Why We Care: A Solution Born from Firsthand Experience 

Herbie was founded by two former Duke Law School classmates who reconnected over their shared experiences with estate planning and administration.

Josh Aronoff, at the time a seasoned commercial transactions lawyer, was thrown into navigating the emotional and legal complexities that follow personal loss firsthand when his father Herbie – after whom our company is lovingly named – passed away without a comprehensive estate plan in place.

“Even with a legal background, I was overwhelmed,” Josh shares. “It took nearly 3 years sorting through documents and accounts, calling lawyers, and sitting on hold with banks trying to piece everything together. I kept thinking: if it’s this hard for me, what’s it like for everyone else?”

That recurring question is what made Josh reach out to Michael Moritz, who was at the time a practicing Trusts and Estates attorney at one of the country’s premier law firms and had seen personally and professionally the benefits and burdens of good and bad estate plans.

“Every day I was seeing how good planning could bring families peace of mind and position them well for the future, but also how ordinary people didn’t have access to these same opportunities,” says Michael. “Herbie is about empowering every family with the planning tools and resources they deserve to feel fully supported in developing a strong, comprehensive estate plan.”

This shared conviction is what inspired Josh and Michael to found Herbie: the belief that all Americans deserve a more intuitive and affordable solution to shape their legacy and protect their loved ones.

Accessible, Intuitive, Simplified: A More Human Approach to Estate Planning

Herbie is designed to seamlessly guide families through the full estate planning journey. Our easy-to-use tools and visualized, step-by-step approach help you create a comprehensive plan that reflects the life you’ve built and the people it’s meant to serve.

With Herbie, you can:

• Cover your basics with a $0 Will. Create a customized high quality, state-specific Will in minutes—no lawyer required, no hidden fees.
• See your entire plan at a glance. Herbie’s visual dashboard clearly displays your family members, assets, and wishes all in one place, so you always know what’s in your estate plan and can feel confident nothing’s missing.
• Build your plan at your own pace. No appointments, no paperwork, no pressure. Herbie saves your progress as you go, so you can build your plan at your own pace, on your own schedule.
• Keep the people who matter in the loop. With Herbie’s My Circle feature, it’s easy to share your plan with trusted loved ones and advisors so they’re informed, prepared, and never left guessing.
• Make unlimited updates, anytime. Life evolves – your estate plan should, too. Whether you buy a home, grow your family, or move to another state, as a Herbie Estate Plan paid subscriber, you can update your plans whenever you want, as many times as you want, at no extra cost.
• Plan for more than just the basics. Many DIY estate planning tools stop at a simple Will. Herbie goes further, offering high quality estate plans that include Revocable Living Trusts, and with them the ability to be in control of how your assets will be distributed and controlled down the road.  It’s all  designed by top-tier lawyers and tailored by you.
• Skip the sky-high attorney fees. Traditional estate plans can cost thousands in legal fees, plus more with every update. A Herbie subscription delivers a comprehensive, high quality plan—with unlimited updates—for a fraction of the cost.

As the first and only self-serve estate planning platform founded by lawyers and vetted by estate planning attorneys across the country, Herbie helps you navigate lifeʼs most important questions with nuance and confidence, ensuring your plan is comprehensive and tailored to fit your individual needs.

The Future is Bright

Herbie’s mission is to make peace of mind possible for everyone. Since opening up our waitlist in December 2024, thousands of people have signed up to be notified as Herbie expands.

“This is deeply personal for me, and clearly for so many others, too” says Josh. “The response we’ve seen tells me we’re building something important, something people have been waiting for.”

“I’m thrilled that we will be able to share our knowledge and expertise with so many people across the country,” adds Michael. “We’ve worked hard to build a high quality, easy-to-use platform, and I can’t wait to see the real impact Herbie can make.”

Today’s launch marks a major step forward in making estate planning and administration accessible for all, and we’re laser-focused on expanding Herbie’s reach to more states in the months ahead.

Thank you to our early supporters, our outstanding team, and our investors for believing in this vision. We’re honored to be building tools that help people take control of their future, support their loved ones, and shape their legacies – and we’re just getting started. 

The plan of a lifetime starts here.

Ready to take the next step? Start your plan with Herbie.

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