Don’t Get Tricked by the Internet When Doing Your Planning

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s a good time to remember the frightening realities that can occur with do-it-yourself estate planning documents from the Internet.

On this Life Happens podcast, attorneys Aaron Connor and Rebecca Cerny discuss why getting advice from a trusted attorney about your estate plan is always the smartest choice.

Some common Internet traps Aaron and Rebecca talk about include:

• The law is very specific and always changing. When you use an Internet document, you risk the chance of it being outdated and not valid. An Estate Planning attorney can help make sure important documents like your Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy remain up to date, alert you of any major changes in the law, and overall help you stay in control of your planning.

• One of the biggest goals of planning is to protect your assets. An attorney can help you maximize your asset protection for things you didn’t plan on such as a child getting divorced, creditor problems or sudden long-term care needs. DIY documents only help you right now.

• Avoiding probate is one of the many benefits of having a valid Will. The time consuming, costly and public process of probate can be avoided when a Will is drawn up by an Estate Planning firm, but many courts still require online Wills go through probate.

It can be tempting to jump online and attempt the do-it-yourself estate planning as a way to save time and money, but this choice could end up costing you more in the future if they are not done properly.