"Legal" Will kits?

[Toms-SC]

Are these worth it?

Yes/No

[theken]

Ban. I doubt it man

[Weapon_R]

No. We do wills for about $400 a head, why even risk making a mistake on one to save a few hundred.

The potential for error on a will is huge. The problems with contestability are also equally concerning.

[TrailBlazerSS]

Originally posted by Toms-SC
Are these worth it?

Yes/No

Yes, I think so. They're pretty straight forward and easy to complete. Get a witness to sign it and it should stand up to any kind of test. I bought one by the publisher "Self-Cousel Press".

...And if it turns out the answer is "no", you're not going to know about it anyway! j/k :)

[TrailBlazerSS]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
No. We do wills for about $400 a head, why even risk making a mistake on one to save a few hundred.

The potential for error on a will is huge. The problems with contestability are also equally concerning.

Do you know of any such "errors"? Just curious as to what may go wrong. It seems to me that if you have a last will and testament and it's witnessed, it should be pretty much understood. Unless of course the person has some kind of complicated situation with finances or such. ?

Edit: guess this is worth a read...

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/cpmoney/will-kits-better-than-no-will-but-not-complex-estateplanning-experts-say-20090115

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by TrailBlazerSS


Do you know of any such "errors"? Just curious as to what may go wrong. It seems to me that if you have a last will and testament and it's witnessed, it should be pretty much understood. Unless of course the person has some kind of complicated situation with finances or such. ?

Edit: guess this is worth a read...

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/cpmoney/will-kits-better-than-no-will-but-not-complex-estateplanning-experts-say-20090115

The obvious one is the interpretation - what does the decedent actually mean? A lawyer will precisely define the intentions of the deceased to convey the proper message, whereas the average layperson usually cannot properly do so.

An improperly witnessed will is also null and void.

[Kloubek]

I agree. All you need to do is have someone look it over to see if it is legal and valid anyway if you want to be sure. Should be pretty straightforward in most cases I'd figure.

You gonna forget to sign on the dotted line or something? Doubtful.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
An improperly witnessed will is also null and void.

That's somewhat of a blanket statement isn't it? I've worked with Letter's Probate within the scope of my job for over a decade and I've seen the courts accept everything from three sentences scribbled on a coffee stained napkin with a date and signature to signed suicide notes as last wills and testaments.

I mean obviously a person should do it right but it's amazing what the courts will accept.

And to the OP, I can't imagine it's worth it to risk miscontruing your wishes with a DIY job to save that small an amount of money. My lawyer charged $90 bucks to draft a will. Unless there's a large estate with a lot of complex holdings to deal with, Wills/P.O.A.'s and the like are ridiculously simple for a lawer to draft.

[JordanLotoski]

I looked into that a while back.All my friends said have your lawyer do it...I had them do it took a few days and 750 bucks. I think something like that should always be done by a lawyer, specially when kids are involved.

[rockym20]

Wills are one of those things where you absolutely need a lawyer. If you don't go throught a lawyer, it can easily be contested.

[Oz-]

Are there specialized lawyers (ie: estate lawyers) for wills?

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by Oz-
Are there specialized lawyers (ie: estate lawyers) for wills?

Yes, there are. Every field has specialization since no single lawyer can (successfully) practice in every single field.

[flipstah]

Bump! Any Beyond lawyers offering services? Family is looking to get theirs done :)

[Cos]

.

[skandalouz_08]

It should cost about $400 for a single up to $750ish for a couple however it depends how large your estate is and what you want drafted in it. These prices typically include a Personal Directive and Power of Attorney. If you need a lawyer let me know as those prices are straight from my lawyer.