If you search online for “legal forms” or “legal documents,” you will find all kinds of websites that want to sell you all different sorts of legal forms that you can fill out. Most, if not all, of them have some forms that you can use for your estate plan. You might look at the low prices for these forms and think that they are a good option for you. It does not get much cheaper than a $50 dollar Will. However, should you use these forms and are they actually cheaper?
The answer to those questions is simple. No, you should not use those forms, and, no, they are not actually cheaper. Why that is the case is a bit more complicated. The law surrounding estate plans is different in every state. There are similarities, but no two states are exactly alike. It requires an expert on state law to tell you what the estate planning laws are in you state. That’s why you should not use the forms. They might not actually follow the appropriate laws in your state.
When your estate plan does not follow the applicable state laws, then you or your estate has to hire attorneys and go to Court to sort it out. That gets expensive and it’s the reason that using a form you purchase online for your estate plan is not actually cheaper.
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