I am often asked about the many software products on the market and internet. These products include Suze Orman’s Will and Trust Kit, Quicken WillMaker, LegalZoom.com Parents often think that they can utilize these tools to get the legal protections they need to safeguard their children. Sadly, we never know what we don’t know until it’s too late.

I like the analogy made by Alexis Martin Neely: “It’s kind of like if you built your own house during the summer when the weather was really good and you thought you knew what you were doing, but unknowingly overlooked a key element like putting waterproof felt between the sheeting and the shingles (who would know that, I thought you’d just put the shingles right on the wood). You might not find out right away that you had overlooked this important item, but a couple years later the sheeting would start to rot away and by the third winter you’d have rain and snow in your house and by the time you figured out what you had done wrong, it’d be too late to do anything about it.”

I personally tested several legal document preparation tools. In every case there was a detail overlooked, or a situation that wasn’t considered, that resulted in significantly compromised documents. Translation: in a crisis your family might have no protection.

There are several things document preparation software can’t do for you, your family and your children. First, with all due respect to Second Life and World of Warcraft devotees, you can’t have a relationship with a piece of software. As a Personal Family Lawyer  I act as a trusted advisor to my clients. I guide them through the process of making critical decisions that will impact and protect their families. I help them to capture and pass along their total family wealth, including both their personal and financial legacy. Beyond the estate planning process I am available to them to help them make the best possible decision in any situation they face, from selecting a designated beneficiary on an insurance policy to responding to a legal demand received in the mail. I can’t tell you where or when or why, but at some point in your future, you will need the counsel of an attorney. Will your software package be there for you, or your Personal Family Lawyer?

Second, these tools can’t discuss with you the specifics of your family. Maybe you have a disabled child, or want to make special provisions for your pets. Most software tools are designed for the”average” family. I don’t know about you and your family, but none of my clients are “typical” or “average”. Everyone has at least one, and usually several unique characteristics that need to be taken into account.

Third, in some instances these software tools produce void documents. In testing one software tool I was shocked when I reviewed the final products. They did not have the proper signature, witnessing and notary provisions. The result was documents that were entirely void.

If you have already used one of these software products, have them reviewed by your attorney. If you’ve been thinking about using one of these products, consider instead the opportunity to have a lifetime relationship with your own Personal Family Lawyer.

Tags: do-it-yourself, Estate Planning, Personal Family Lawyer

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 6th, 2008 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Estate Planning. Follow comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.