Online Will Program

My husband is an attorney who among other things does wills, trusts, and estates. He says that the trouble with the online will protocols isn't in the questions they ask, but in the follow up questions that they fail to ask.

I would recommend you speak with an attorney.

Best,
F. B.

My family is involved in two estates. I would never have expected conflict. My brother is no longer speaking to me because he wants to do something not addressed in the Trust. He wrote the trust himself. It's likely it wouldn't stand up in court.

I'm executor for my cousin's estate. We shared a house for 25 years. He had an attorney draw up a will. My brother resents that Ihave inherited more than he has. He thinks I should share.

When someone dies, greed takes over some people. Because you have children, I suggest you be sure to have an iron clad will. In addition to fights over money, there can be fights over the children if you both die at the same time.

I would use an on line service from a reputable source such as Liz Orman. Then I would consult with an attorney to be sure I've covered all bases.

ours are through legal zoom.
we should probably go see a lawyer.
:/ khairete
S.

I've used legal zoom before, but we are currently working with a Lawyer to put together a real Trust for the kids.

I did the Suze Orman Will and Trust program a few years ago, had it notarized and asked a few lawyer friends if they thought this was an okay path. They agreed it was legit. We don't have complicated finances at all, my only concern is the care of my children. We are expecting another child this fall, so I will need to update the program(which is very easy to do), but I'm not sure that I still feel 100% confident that this is enough, so I'll be interested to see other responses.

Yes, that's what's sitting in my files, but I haven't died yet, so I don't know if it will be problematic. But since I don't expect the kids to fight over our measly savings, I'm not that worried about it.

I also never worried about anyone fighting our custody arrangements for the kids when they were young, so again I wasn't that concerned with a legal will.

Please see an attorney.

I have seen many people who were due a refund as the property owner. The refund must be written back to the owner of the property and in many cases, this was the trust. Checks were issued to the trust in these cases and soon enough, here came the phone calls that the individuals could not cash the check.

The problem was, many of them transfered their property into a trust and may or may not have listed themselves as the trustees and then never bothered to open a bank account in the trust name. The bank didn't recognize John Doe as The John Doe Trust, so they could not cash the check. The bank suggested they get the check issued in their name, however, the law (in this case) stated the check must be written to the owner of record.

So that was just a small piece of the problem. These people didn't have enough sense to present the documents to the bank and open an account, so what happens when they go to sell or refinance the house.

What they have done is signed the house over to "The Trust" and then never went any further. The Trust is now the owner and hopefully they have the knowledge to take it to the next step to identify the trust. In some of these cases, they couldn't even cash a $60 check.

Just see an attorney.

You wouldn't pull your own teeth, or fix your own car, or operate on yourself if you needed heart surgery, would you?

I work in the legal field, and I am aghast at what people will try to do for themselves in the legal field. Lawyers are specially trained to do specific things - trained for YEARS. Just like doctors, and dentists, etc.

If you really want something done right, hire a professional (this is true of most anything in life). Wills, divorces, bankruptcy - all life changing events! Not something to mess around with yourself.

Good luck!

If there is anything complex about your estate you need an attorney. That paper is only worth anything if it can stand up in court. Minor children are enough to call a will complicated.

I know a lot of people think their family will get along fine but after being married to a funeral director for 18 years and hearing the horror stories that just isn't the case. I mean it could, but when it isn't it is so ugly. If things are airtight there is nothing to fight over, no fight happens, ever. Okay, someone may spit on your grave but your loved ones are protected. When it goes bad not only do people you love fight over people you love but it tears your family apart. This happened twice in my own family, over money, not even people, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. My mom and uncle both went to the grave never really forgiving each other.

If you want your will to stand up to probate, please see a lawyer!! It all depends on your state, but I know that in some states a type written will is NOT valid unless executed by an attorney. A typical will costs about $400-600. The only way I would suggest not seeing a lawyer is if your assets are worth less than that and you have no children or property. And if that is the case, you don't need a will anyway.

We looked into it but in the end decided to use an actual attorney skilled in this area. The will has to be legal and filed and so many other things.

If you have anything of value or children you must do a will the right way. If you don't your family might end up in court for years fighting over your things.

I have a friend whose mom was a professional scientist, dad was a high school teacher at a gifted school. Dad did his will through an attorney and left it all to mom. He went first.

Mom didn't have a will after dad was gone and she did a thing that had become popular in the 90s. Not sure what it was but again, she was a professional woman with a LOT of intelligence. She died.

Her children are worst enemies and are constantly taking my friend to court because they want this what not or that what not and they can't agree on any terms. It's been years now that this woman has been dead. Her daughter is the executor and since the mom messed it up so badly the judge isn't able to release my friend to execute the will so this woman's belongings were professionally boxed up and put in a storage facility and no one can get in and take anything out.

Her money that was set up to go to her kids in her thing is long gone and my friend pays out of pocket, since she's the executor, for the storage. They've gone to court over and over. I didn't believe it but read the court report this last few times. It's CRAZY. This woman didn't do it right at all and the forms she used were awful.

So please, don't take a chance on doing it wrong if you have anything that you want to go to this one or that one specifically.

If you don't do it at all then your family can all file liens/papers saying you owed them money, your car was supposed to be theirs when you were gone, your house was something they helped you get but there wasn't anything written down because you weren't supposed to go this soon....wah wah wah. Her stuff is mine. Kids are mine, she said so, not the kids are mine, she told me that a long time ago, no kids go to dad....and the court gets richer and the attorneys just milk the cow in the middle.

Go professional . Please save everyone from a huge fight.

Don't use an online will program. You can get a simple will done for a few hundred dollars. IF you have children, it is extremely important to have a will and name guardians for your children. Otherwise, if something happens, they go to your state agency foster care.