Can I Use a Form or a Form Service to Make A Will?

There are a lot of form providers out there that can give you a cheap will form.  But are they any good?  

This is a question that I get asked a lot.  Honestly, if you need a will, and can't afford to pay $129 for the protection of a will that is drafted by an attorney, then a form is at least some protection.  But is it any good? That all depends on your own skill in drafting and your understanding of estate planning law.  

You see, forms are only as good as the input you give them.  Did you fill it out correctly?  Who knows?  And the hard part is that you won't find out (or your children won't find out) if you filled it out correctly until you die and it is already too late.

Can the form seller help?  This is the part that surprises most people about form sellers: Most of them can't.  You see, most form sellers are public companies that are forbidden from giving legal advice.  All states prohibit non-lawyers from giving legal advice.  Likewise, all states prohibit non-lawyers from owning companies that give legal advice.  So companies like LegalZoom, even though they may have famous lawyers that own part of their company or endorse their company, are actually forbidden from giving you legal advice because they are not owned exclusively by lawyers.  Most of them will "review" your form for an extra $40 or so.  But what does this review actually give you if they can't give legal advice?  If you read the fine print, you will see that all the review does is check for spelling and punctuation!  Is that really all that helpful?  (answer: it's not - it's not even necessary because of states' rules on harmless errors).  

The bottom line is that using a form to make a will is a risk -- a big one that could be avoided at a low cost.  If you are about to go skydiving tomorrow morning and need a will tonight, go ahead and use a form.  Make sure to name an executor that you trust and be sure to nominate a guardian for your children if you have them.  And above all, MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR STATE'S REQUIREMENTS.  

But if you have more than just a few hours before you may need your will, you can get one custom drafted by a licensed attorney in just a few business days for much less than a brick-and-mortar law firm by clicking here.  Is it worth the risk to your family to rely on your skill and a form?  You are probably very good at what you do for a living, but if you don't do wills for a living, you are taking a big risk.

Click here to get a will that you can trust - satisfaction guaranteed.