Legalzoom Will Review
Legalzoom just like any other DIY document preparation service makes it seem like preparing a Will is as simple as filling in blank spaces in a form. People go to sites like Legalzoom because these websites offer what seems like a cheaper and convenient way to make a Will. The websites even have testimonials that lure in people that are actually looking for credible legal documents. Some even have testimonials from real lawyers commenting on how useful these websites are. But making a Will is a complicated process that only an experienced estate planning lawyer can help you do.
Are Do-It-Yourself Wills Really Cheap?
People often turn to DIY Wills because they think that hiring a lawyer to draft a Will is just too costly. But sites like Legalzoom do have attorneys on staff, and these attorneys do offer personal help to some site users. What people don’t know is that getting this personal help can actually cost a great deal more than what they receive. Apart from this, since getting personal advice from these sites is not easy, people using the sites to make Wills often end up making mistakes that can cost their heirs a lot of money.
Common Mistakes With Legalzoom DIY Wills
The most common mistakes people make when using Legalzoom to make Wills include:
- Including things they don’t own: This is more likely to happen when the asset included in the Will is actually jointly owned. For example, someone transfers a house to his children despite the fact that he jointly owns that house with his brother.
- Fail to consider alternate scenarios: People do not consider different scenarios when making a Will. For example, a beneficiary in your Will may die before you and as a result the asset or property may end up in someone else’s hands.
- You have no idea what you want or need: People often don’t consider the complexities of family dynamics before making a DIY Will. For example, making family members that do not trust or like each other share an asset or property. This can lead to court cases and other challenges.
- Ambiguous language: People are likely to use language that can have two or more meanings when writing a DIY Will. You can avoid doing this by hiring an estate planning lawyer.
A probate court is very likely to declare a Will invalid if it has mistakes in it. Once the Will is found to be invalid, it is the court that takes the responsibility of distributing the assets of the deceased.
Why You Need Advice OF An Attorney
Advice of an attorney in preparation of a Will is important because the attorney can listen to understand your unique situation, provide you with legal solutions, and answer your questions face to face. The key word here is “unique” because sites like Legalzoom only provide general information that they think are commonly encountered. An experienced estate planning attorney can draft a Will that complies with all legal requirements and considers alternate scenarios that may happen when the testator is still alive.