Hi everyone,
Would you work with a lawyer or use something like the legalzoom.com or any other online legal docs website to create a will, living trust, power of attorney etc.. I see pros and cons in both options. We have a house and a minor child. Thank you!
G.
Thank you all! Appreciate your advice, recommendation and referral! I posted the Part 2 question just a few minutes ago asking people for the referral to an attorney in Los Angeles. The fees are an important variable in our decision.
I work with legal documents every single day. I work closely with attorneys, my boss's husband is a probate judge. You wouldn't believe some of the horror stories I've heard... I would never use a legal service like legalzoom to prepare such important documentation. I would use a good, recommended attorney with experience.
Attorney. We started with the online stuff, and it got too complicated. The attorney was great, and she suggested options that we didn't even know existed. She was worth every penny.
To insure that you have everything done properly, I would suggest that you use an attorney. If not, at least have an attorney look over it to be sure you have everything in order and legal in your state.
Use an estate attorney. And be prepared to revisit the will as your assets and liabilities change and your family grows and their needs change.
we just got our Living trust back from our lawyer this week. it was $3,500 (broke it up into 2 payments) worth every penny. He asked us things that i would NEVER have thought of... like if our kids get married are their spouses entitled to any of the money or if we pass do we want our kids to get a lump sum or brake it up and so so much more...
my thought is Attorney
These documents are only as valuable as the words they contain. Something that serious I would never leave to a website.
My packet cost 950 dollars. Thing is I know my wishes will be executed. In my opinion law is not where you want to cut corners.
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Oh my, after looking at Julie's response, how much are your kids worth? These documents are not about assets, it is about your kids and what happens to them.
California is a crazy state and has laws unlike the other states. I decided to buck up and pay the money after looking at LegalZoom. I'd HATE for something NOT to be right and then my estate has no protection. I have 4 minor children. I do it once and we can make changes as we see fit, like the selling of a home or a birth of a child, etc.
My attorney did a fabulous job and it was straightforward . She's up in LA. I did mine years ago, but call her and find out how much it would be.
http://www.trustplanner.net/DynamicAttorneys.shtml?wldpid...
I also have an attorney in Orange County that charges around $1800.
http://foleyestateplanning.com
Hi G.. I actually work for an estate planning lawyer in Newport Beach, CA and our first 2 criteria to see if it would even be beneficial for you to work with them vs doing it online is wether or not you have a house or any minor children. I would definitely suggest sitting down with a lawyer just to lay out the pros and cons. Our office, Morgan Law Group, even offers complimentary consultations. Our lawyers are super friendly and will be upfront with you about what your needs are. If you live in Orange County or LA, check us out, www.MorganLawGroup.com. Otherwise, I'd definitely suggest finding one in your area and having at least a consultation. You would hate for something to happen to your kids if something happened to you because the correct paperwork wasn't completed. Let me know if you have any questions.
B.
I worked with an attorney.
You can create a a will, living trust, and a few other documents from Suze Orman's website (www.suzeorman.com). She says that they are the same documents that she uses. The promo code is "peoplefirst". I don't remember if there is a space between "people" and "first" or not. The documents are very easy to create and her lawyer talks you through them on the website. We used them and we have two minor children. Good Luck.
We used a lawyer just to be sure it was done right.
I just drew up my Will, Advanced Directives (a living will), and Medical Power of Attorney. I did the research as to what it was supposed to say (in the case of the living will and MPA I found the forms online, cause you can get them free at the doctor's office). Once I had all the research done, I wrote them up, printed them out, signed them and had them notarized with two witnesses.
LegalZoom will charge you an arm and a leg. If you have the time, then just do it yourself. If you don't, then hire an attorney in your area. Typically they won't charge too much in order to draw up the papers.
We just did a FREE online one. We figure that when our networth is worth 1 million, we will then be qualified to actually waste money on a lawyer, as we will need to establish a trust then. Otherwise, I can't fathom spending thousands of dollars on a lawyer at this stage.
