Some years ago with the help of Nolo Press/Quicken I created some estate planning documents: (1) Last Will and Testament, (2) Revocable Living Trust, (3) Health Care Directive, and (4) Durable Power of Attorney (Financial). The documents were created with software. The accompanying book was very helpful in understanding the considerations involved and selecting the right approach for my situation. While I am comfortable with the estate planning documents I am however left with the nagging feeling that I am in over my head and have made some gross errors. The law is not my field.
How should one make the determination that the available books/software are sufficient for one’s basic situation? What criteria should be used when making the decision to see an estate planning attorney rather than a DIY approach? If it makes a difference the country is the USA.
DIY Law - Estate Planning
Re: DIY Law - Estate Planning
I went through the same process with a package offered by Suze Orman and pbs.org during a pledge drive. At the end of the process she says take the papers into an real live lawyer for a check. The idea being the check of the documentation should be cheap compared to asking one to do it from scratch.