By now, you have probably heard of LegalZoom. They are a business that provides an array of do-it-yourself legal documents for individuals and business owners. While they allow the customer to create legal documents, they are not a substitute for an attorney and they do not provide any legal guidance. They state directly on their website, “We are not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. We cannot provide any kind of advice, explanation, opinion, or recommendation about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, selection of forms or strategies.”
One of the most popular services that LegalZoom offers is Will Preparation. These do-it-yourself Wills can be enticing due to their low cost. But there is a reason they are low cost. LegalZoom provides a false sense of security by leading people to believe that they are getting true legal advice and making legitimate legal documents that will be upheld in a Court of Law. Rather than providing information specific to your unique circumstances, they use a list of generic information to draft your Will. This is not how a Will should be created. It is something that should be tailored to each individual’s life situation.
Along with tailoring a Will for each individual, it is also important to make sure that the Will follows any State Laws for Will preparation. For example, in Indiana, you must have two witnesses watch your sign your Will and they must attest to it by also signing your Will. Unfortunately, the burden is placed on you when using online legal services to determine whether or not you have correctly provided any required information and that you are following all state laws regarding your Will.
Mistakes can happen much more easily using online services. With a legal document like a Will, mistakes will generally not be caught until after the person dies. This can add unnecessary stress to your family that is already going through a stressful time. You may unintentionally leave out critical information or have a situational change in your life that would require an amendment to your Will. Some examples of a circumstantial change would include births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc.
You can prevent mistakes and be sure that your Will follows all laws by making sure to hire an experienced attorney for all of your Will Preparation needs. Mathewson Law P.C. offers a low-cost package that is competitive with LegalZoom but offers you peace of mind knowing that you are working with a licensed Indiana attorney who can answer your legal questions and make sure that everything is legally correct. For more information on Will Preparation, please contact our office.