Will Lawyer Roseville, CA

When you’re thinking about your last will and testament, you might consider writing it yourself. Afterall, how difficult could it be? In Hollywood films you may have seen a piece of paper with the draft’s last wishes and a signature. You can do that too, right? Well, writing a will is not so cut and dry. Today, something like that might not hold up too well in a court of law, or could be contested very easily.

If you’re thinking about writing your own will, you also need to think about many factors like, whether or not there are minor children involved. What laws will govern the will? Are there any special circumstances? These factors, and any other number of them, can make a DIY will challenging,  even with the assistance of an online program.

There is No One Size Fits All Solution to Estate Planning

You can find many online will creators, or purchase software that claims to get the job done for you. However, both of these generally cover the very basic of all estate planning needs. The forms you will find on these sites (or software) are purposely kept as simple as possible. This is done to comply with all state and federal laws. If your circumstances are anything by basic, which most people’s will be, your beneficiaries could have a lot of problems after your death.

Eac person’s estate planning needs will be different. What works for you won’t for your neighbor, best friend, or sibling. A generic will is not ideal for 99% of all people.

Online Programs and Software May Carry a Disclaimer

Review the small print of a will creator site or software program and you’ll almost certainly find a disclaimer that may read :

“The information in this program is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for legal advice. You should consult an estate planning lawyer for legal advice.”

State and Federal Laws

When it comes to estate planning and wills, there are countless state laws that vary by state. You will need to think about estate taxes, gift taxes, inheritance taxes, probate, and more. You also must consider any legal formalities that are absolutely necessary to make a will valid.

The laws that are applicable to your will may affect the entire estate plan. For example the definition of community property, homestead rights, common law marriages, disinherited spouses, and descendents all vary by state. It is not possible for online websites or software to cover these laws, which also change on a frequent basis. At the very least, you should as an estate planning lawyer to review the software to see if it is accurate and compliant with your state’s estate laws.

You Get What You Pay For

Like anything else, you get what you pay for. Yes, creating your own DIY will can save you time and money, but the result may not be what you had wished for. A will lawyer Roseville, CA relies on at Yee Law Group may be able to offer a broad range of flexible payment options that help you to create a will that covers your needs, is legally binding, and avoids litigation.