Why You Should Never Buy Your Will From Living Social or Groupon
Some of the most emotional events of your life that you have the power to plan for is your death or incapacity. Testamentary documents like wills and trust are often the best vehicles for managing the transfer of your assets to you loved ones at the time of your death. Recently, these documents have been available for purchase online in a general, fill-in-the-blank form.
However, with this being said, we believe that the assets you have acquired throughout your life and the ways that you own them are far more complex than a standardized legal document can anticipate. That’s why you need an experienced estate planning attorney to guide you so that your wishes for life and death can be carried out without risk of your family getting stuck in court or conflict.
Your incapacity or death will be an emotional time for your family and the last thing they need is to be fighting with generic documents that may not cover everything needed, may not be legal or valid in the state or circumstances in which they were signed, or may not be properly updated as your life and the laws changed. Having an experienced lawyer guiding them in those times is much easier on everyone involved. In certain cases, such as being married multiple times, having minor children, or owning a small business, legal assistance is especially crucial.
Another thing to consider is that there may be a variety different tax or asset protection implications for your inheritors. The right lawyer can advise you on the best way to handle the different assets you own, such as real estate, investments, a small business, or personal property, to best take advantage of these implications. Is a trust right for your situation? Is there a way to transfer an asset before you pass so that it will be protected from claims, creditors or taxation? Groupon can’t help you understand the answers.
You may save money initially if you have a simple, small estate with few assets by just using a form that you find online. However, if you become incapacitated before death, your family could get stuck with a long-drawn-out court process as they attempt to get control of your financial assets. Furthermore, if your document is unclear, contestable, or wholly or partially invalid, it’s your family who will be paying the price down the road. Speak with us, A Personal Family Lawyer® to create an estate plan that protects you and your loved ones. Contact us today.
This article is a service of Levi Alexander, Personal Family Lawyer®. We don’t just draft documents, we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That’s why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session™, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
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