Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing, or using the HeirForge platform at www.heirforge.com (the “Platform”), you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any additional terms referenced herein. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Platform.

If you are using the Platform on behalf of another person (e.g., as a spouse completing a joint intake), you represent that you have their authorization to agree to these Terms on their behalf.

2. Description of Services

HeirForge provides an online platform that facilitates the preparation of estate planning documents, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and related documents. Our services include:

• A guided intake questionnaire that gathers information necessary for document preparation
• A recommendation engine that suggests appropriate estate planning products based on your circumstances
• AI-assisted document generation using legal templates customized for your jurisdiction
• Attorney review, editing, and approval of every document before finalization
• A secure document vault for storage and retrieval of your finalized documents
• Optional annual maintenance plans for ongoing document updates
• Trust funding guidance (personalized checklists for transferring assets into your trust)

The Platform is a tool that assists licensed attorneys in preparing estate planning documents. Your reviewing attorney exercises independent legal judgment and is responsible for the legal accuracy of your finalized documents.

3. Platform Role and Attorney-Client Relationship

HeirForge is a technology company, not a law firm. The Platform provides technology that facilitates the preparation and review of legal documents by licensed attorneys.

No attorney-client relationship exists with HeirForge. Your attorney-client relationship is established with your assigned reviewing attorney, not with the Platform. This relationship is created when you accept the engagement agreement and complete payment.

Engagement Agreement. Before payment, you will review and accept an engagement agreement that establishes the scope of the attorney-client relationship, the services to be provided, fee terms, and your respective obligations. The engagement agreement governs the attorney-client relationship and supplements these Terms.

Information Before Engagement. Information you provide during the free intake questionnaire, before signing the engagement agreement and completing payment, is not protected by attorney-client privilege. We treat this information as confidential and protect it as described in our Privacy Policy, but it does not carry the legal protections of privileged communications.

4. Eligibility

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a legal resident of a U.S. state supported by our Platform (currently Texas and New York)
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement
• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and the intake process

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who does not meet these eligibility requirements.

5. Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to:

• Choose a strong password and not share it with anyone
• Notify us immediately at support@heirforge.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account
• Keep your account information up to date
• Not create multiple accounts for the same person

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized use of your account.

6. Accurate Information and User Responsibilities

The quality and legal effectiveness of your estate planning documents depend on the accuracy of the information you provide. You represent and warrant that:

• All information you provide during the intake questionnaire is accurate, current, and complete to the best of your knowledge
• You have the authority to provide information about third parties named in your documents (spouse, beneficiaries, guardians, trustees, agents)
• You will review your finalized documents carefully before signing
• You will notify us promptly of any changes to your circumstances that may affect your estate plan

HeirForge and your reviewing attorney rely on the information you provide. We are not responsible for errors in your documents that result from inaccurate or incomplete information provided by you.

7. Payments, Subscriptions, and Refunds

Payment Processing. All payments are processed securely through Stripe. We never collect, store, or have access to your credit card numbers or payment card details. Payment is required after reviewing your recommendation and accepting the engagement agreement.

Pricing. Prices for our services are displayed on the recommendation page before you commit to purchase. Bundle discounts may apply when purchasing multiple products together. Prices are subject to change, but changes will not affect orders that have already been placed.

Subscriptions. Our annual maintenance plan ($99/yr) provides unlimited document amendments. Subscriptions automatically renew each year until cancelled. You may cancel at any time through the Stripe customer portal accessible from your maintenance page, or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you will retain access to maintenance services until then. No prorated refunds are issued for partial billing periods.

Refunds. Refund policies are set forth in your engagement agreement. Generally, if document preparation has not yet begun, a full refund may be available. Once attorney review has commenced, refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis. Contact support@heirforge.com for refund requests.

8. Document Generation and Artificial Intelligence

Template-Based Generation. Your documents are generated from jurisdiction-specific legal templates using the information you provide during intake. These templates are authored and maintained by licensed attorneys.

AI Customization. After initial generation, AI (Anthropic’s Claude) is used to refine legal language and may suggest additional protective provisions. All AI modifications operate within designated sections of each document and are subject to automated validation. See our Privacy Policy Section 3 for details on how AI processes your data.

Attorney Review Required. Every AI-generated modification and suggestion is reviewed by a licensed attorney before appearing in your final documents. AI does not provide legal advice. Your assigned attorney exercises independent legal judgment and may accept, reject, or modify any AI output.

No Guarantee of AI Output. AI-generated content is provided to assist your reviewing attorney and is not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or appropriate for your specific circumstances. The attorney review process is designed to ensure the quality and accuracy of your final documents.

9. Document Execution

Finalized documents must be properly executed (signed, witnessed, and/or notarized) according to applicable state law to be legally valid. HeirForge provides detailed signing instructions with your documents. You are responsible for properly executing your documents.

Execution requirements vary by document type. For example:

• Wills — typically require two witnesses age 14+ and a self-proving affidavit (notarization)
• Trust instruments — typically require notarization
• Powers of attorney — typically require notarization

HeirForge does not guarantee the legal validity of improperly executed documents. If you are unsure about execution requirements, consult your reviewing attorney.

10. Limitations of Services

You acknowledge and agree that:

• The Platform currently supports estate planning for Texas and New York residents. Planning under other states’ laws requires separate legal counsel.
• The Platform does not provide tax advice. Complex tax planning (estate tax minimization, generation-skipping transfer tax, etc.) may require a tax professional or specialized estate planning attorney.
• The Platform does not prepare real property deeds, beneficiary designation change forms, or business entity documents.
• Trust funding guidance is educational in nature. Transferring assets into your trust is your responsibility and may require additional professional assistance.
• Complex or high-value estates may require additional legal counsel beyond what HeirForge provides.
• Estate planning documents should be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in your circumstances, family situation, or applicable law.

11. Intellectual Property

Platform Property. The Platform, including its design, code, templates, algorithms, branding, and all associated intellectual property, is owned by HeirForge and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from any part of the Platform.

Your Documents. Your finalized estate planning documents belong to you. Upon finalization and delivery to your secure vault, you have full ownership of the content of your documents. The underlying templates and formatting remain the property of HeirForge.

Feedback. If you provide suggestions, feedback, or ideas about the Platform, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use that feedback to improve our services without obligation to you.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR COMPLETELY SECURE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED OR THAT THE PLATFORM IS FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

THE FOREGOING DISCLAIMER DOES NOT APPLY TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY YOUR REVIEWING ATTORNEY, WHICH ARE GOVERNED BY THE ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT AND APPLICABLE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF CARE.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties. In such jurisdictions, the above disclaimers apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEIRFORGE, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO HEIRFORGE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY APPLIES TO THE PLATFORM AND ITS TECHNOLOGY SERVICES ONLY. IT DOES NOT LIMIT THE PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY OF YOUR REVIEWING ATTORNEY, WHICH IS GOVERNED BY APPLICABLE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY RULES AND THE ATTORNEY’S OWN MALPRACTICE COVERAGE.

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on liability for certain types of damages. In such jurisdictions, the above limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HeirForge, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your violation of these Terms; (b) your use of the Platform; (c) inaccurate or incomplete information you provide; (d) your improper execution of documents; or (e) your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party.

15. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

Informal Resolution. Before initiating any formal dispute resolution proceeding, you agree to first contact us at legal@heirforge.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

Binding Arbitration. If informal resolution is unsuccessful, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. Arbitration shall be conducted by a single arbitrator in the state of Texas or New York, as applicable to the client’s residence.

Class Action Waiver. YOU AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

Opt-Out. You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to legal@heirforge.com within 30 days of creating your account. Your opt-out notice must include your full name, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of the arbitration provision.

Exceptions. Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights. Claims within the jurisdiction of small claims court may be brought in small claims court.

Limitation Period. Any claim arising out of or related to these Terms must be brought within one (1) year after the cause of action arises, or the claim is permanently barred.

16. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Platform to:

• Provide false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Create estate planning documents for illegal purposes or to facilitate fraud
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform’s operation, security, or infrastructure
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform or other users’ accounts
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers, etc.) to access or interact with the Platform without our written permission
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Platform
• Use the Platform for any purpose not expressly authorized by these Terms

17. Termination

By You. You may close your account at any time by contacting us at support@heirforge.com. Upon account closure, we will process your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

By Us. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or for any other reason with reasonable notice. In cases of egregious violations, we may terminate access immediately without notice.

Effect of Termination. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases. Finalized documents that have been delivered to your vault will remain available for download for 90 days following account closure. After that period, documents may be permanently deleted. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 12–15) will survive.

18. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law principles. For any disputes not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Texas or New York, as applicable to the client’s state of residence.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or through a prominent notice on the Platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Platform and close your account.

20. General Provisions

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any applicable engagement agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and HeirForge regarding the Platform.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

Force Majeure. We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, acts of government, internet or infrastructure failures, or pandemics.

21. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at:

Email: legal@heirforge.com

General Support: support@heirforge.com

Mailing Address:
HeirForge
Attn: Legal
[Address]