Estate Planning as a Career

With the easy availability of do-it-yourself wills both in print and online, it’s tempting to consider skipping the costly process of working with a probate attorney and taking care of your estate planning needs on your own. It seems like a great deal - grab a cheap do-it-yourself kit off the internet, spend a little of your own time, and save yourself a lot of money overall.

Unfortunately, there are several good reasons why estate planning should always be done with the aid of an experienced probate lawyer. Though the services of an attorney may seem expensive at the time, they are, in most cases, a worthwhile investment to make.

One Size Fits All?

The first pitfall with DIY estate planning or will drafting kits is their one size fits all approach. Although such a method greatly simplifies the drafting process, it also means that tailoring the resulting will to your individual needs may be difficult - or impossible. In general, the task of estate planning is much more complicated than most people realize; the average man or woman today tends to have many different types and amounts of assets spread out over investments, bank accounts, real estate, trust funds, and more. Dealing with and knowing what to do with these different properties is something which probate attorneys - but not average people - are trained to do.

Advice and Know-how

Another problem with over-the-counter estate planning kits is the lack of personal advice and industry know-how. Though a kit may be able to walk you through the basic steps, it will never have the experience that an attorney would. An experienced legal practitioner can do far more than simply help you write a valid will; he or she can show you ways to reduce the amount of taxes your heirs and beneficiaries have to pay, methods of avoiding costly probate paperwork and cour (more…)