You will be surprised to find out that most Elder Law Attorneys will likely charge you the same price or more to "review" an already drafted form will as they would charge to custom draft one specifically for you.Įvan Farr is Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by NELF (National Elder Law Foundation), which is approved by the American Bar Association, and is a member of the Council of Advanced Practitioners of NAELA (National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys). Click on the "Find a Lawyer" tab above to meet with an experienced Elder Law Attorney to review your aunt’s desires and options. A Will simply does NOT accomplish that task. You and your aunt owe it to yourselves to discuss the best vehicle for transferring (and possibly protecting) those hard earned assets, with the least amount of court involvement and taxation. When it comes to Estate Planning, you don't want your aunt to treat the entirety of what she (and maybe her husband) worked their whole lives to accumulate to an online legal factory. Unlike many other matters where mistakes might be able to be corrected - by the time estate planning issues arise, the people have passed on and can't correct the problems. Of course, just because I can do it doesn't mean it's a good idea.
If I have a toothache, I can use the pliers in my toolbox to extract my own tooth instead of having an oral surgeon perform the procedure. Having properly drafted documents done by an experienced attorney can keep a family from splitting apart down the road.ĭo you even realize that a Will puts your estate through the nightmare of probate? Have you explored using a revocable living trust instead of a Will? Depending on your aunt’s age and health, are you aware that she might be better served using an irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust? These are all issues that an experienced elder law attorney can help you and your aunt with. I would also point out that if the proper documents are not drafted by an experienced professional, then it is much more likely that these documents will contain ambiguities, and your aunt will not be around to clarify what she meant to say, and it then becomes a family fight. The law is a personal matter, and no general information or legal tool like the kind LegalZoom provides can fit every circumstance.” LegalZoom cannot guarantee that all the information on the site is completely current. LegalZoom's legal document service is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Secondly, the reality is that many, if not most people who use DIY (do it yourself) documents/forms do it wrong.Īccording to Legal Zoom’s own disclaimer “LegalZoom is not a law firm, and the employees of LegalZoom are not acting as your attorney. Based on your question, it would appear that you are trying to prepare legal documents for your aunt, First of all, doing this would be a crime called unauthorized practice of law, unless you happen to be a licensed attorney.
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