Do-it-yourself Wills: Don’t Risk It!

Thinking of creating your own Will or other estate planning documents? After all, there are lots of web sites with legal document templates available – they make it sound easy.

And of course there’s the cost savings. Why pay a Connecticut estate planning lawyer for something you can do on your own?

The answer is simple: There’s a darn good chance that do-it-yourself legal documents might end up costing you, and your loved ones, more than you think.

If it’s not tailored to where you live…

…then there’s a chance that the document template language isn’t relevant for the state or county you live in. Each jurisdiction has its own laws and regulations – and they change. Filing a document that isn’t appropriate for your state could render your papers null and void.

Think about how that could impact your loved ones after you die.

The Value of Words

If you’ve ever taken a look at a legal document, some of the words might read like another language; one that only makes sense to other lawyers and judges.

There’s a reason for that.

What might be seen as confusing language on your end may actually be the proper and legal way to articulate your wishes.

Uh-oh: Unintended results

Attempting to write your own estate planning documents might lead you down paths that you never intended. Imagine accidentally denying your beneficiaries access to the assets you wanted them to have. If there is ambiguous or missing language, your Will can be invalid or it could lead to exorbitant legal costs. All your good intentions could go down the drain.

DIY Provides Little Protection

Let’s say you’ve already taken the DIY approach to a document and found out later that what you wrote didn’t hold up in court. Or that it played out differently than you planned.

DIY services and templates do not offer legal advice, and they will not back you up when it comes to complaints or concerns over legality. Taking the easy way out with DIY legal documents gives you a false sense of security for which you have no recourse if things go south.

Don’t take a chance

Hiring a Connecticut estate planning attorney to help you craft documents actually costs less than you think when you factor in the experience and understanding that the attorney brings to the table. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your documents were accurately drafted and filed. And you won’t have to worry about problems down the road. Like leaving your family with big legal costs. Give us a call today.

Related Posts:

Free Report: The Shocking Truth About Not Having a Will

Members of:
Contact Information
pixel