Well, you could…but you would do so at a great risk! With do-it-yourself forms available online and in retail stores, it’s tempting to try to knock out your own estate plan. But, this is a situation where you get what you pay for. While you can’t hire an attorney to draft an estate plan for $19.95, you may decide the added value is worth the added expense.
When you hire a wills and trusts attorney, an experienced professional will review the entirety of your situation. An attorney doesn’t just guide you through a series of yes/no questions. Instead, an attorney knows which detailed questions to ask you and what to do with your answers! The attorney will approach the situation from a broader, more comprehensive “estate plan” perspective, rather than focusing on the narrow task of drafting a will. That way, the attorney can help you create and fund a living trust as well as draft advance medical directives and other necessary documents. Fill-in-the-blank forms simply cannot compete.
Attorneys also know how to get the details right. Drafting a will is a complicated process. There are many I’s to dot and T’s to cross. When you use a do-it-yourself program, you may encounter systematic errors, such as when the program fails to account for changes to the laws. You may also make mistakes yourself, such as filling in a blank incorrectly (or worse, not filling it in at all). Finally, a do-it-yourself program may not adequately explain the formalities you must observe, such as signing the will in front of witnesses.
Please contact our Orange estate planning attorneys for help with drafting your will
With do-it-yourself forms available online it’s tempting to try to knock out your own estate plan. But, this is a situation where you get what you pay for. If you would like our estate planning attorneys in Orange County to help you draft a will or create an estate plan, contact us. You may call us at (714) 282-7488 or fill out an online contact form.