Estate Planning: It's not a DIY Project

In this day and age, with information regarding any potential topic that the heart desires available at your fingertips via the internet, many people are becoming self-sufficient by learning the ins and outs of various topics and attempting to tackle them on their own. While DIY projects around the house are a great endeavor for any homeowner, there are certain things that you should still at least consult a professional for.

The most important of these is your future planning, both financially and legally.

While I do not work in financial planning, my colleagues that do will tell you how important it is to plan for your financial future at a young age, long before you'll need to use your plan. As a legal professional, its the same case when talking about your legal future. Estate planning is important from an early age, long before you will ever think about needing it.

Estate planning is not a DIY project.

A basic google search will reveal a multitude of websites that will explain to you the basics of drafting a will or a trust. Many such cites will even give you a fill-in-the-blank sample to use for a small fee. While these type of websites may claim that they are complete and 'the same as an attorney generated will', they lack the most important thing that any good estate plan has; professional knowledge and expertise tailored to each individual.

What many clients don't realize, is that while attorneys do generally charge per document, you are not paying that attorney for the words on the page. What you are paying that attorney for is his or her time and expertise in creating an estate plan that is the best possible decision for you individually. You are paying for the knowledge that the attorney has gained through the years of school and practice.

Websites and pre-generated forms do not alter themselves to meet your needs.

I always offer my clients a free consultation whenever they are interested in estate planning. The purpose of the consultation is to discuss the client's situation, for me to understand their desires, and to craft a specifically tailored plan that will serve their needs efficiently and effectively. For example, many times a client believes that to accomplish their goals requires a formal trust, when in reality, creative drafting can solve their issues with a simple will. It is insight such as this that will never be replaced by online content.

Long story short, it is worth the time to sit down and speak with an attorney about your needs. Take the time today, our consultations our free and non-binding.