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Katya Sverdlov Blog

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Should you use the Do It Yourself website for your estate plan?

Many people believe that their situation is so simple, that they have no need to go to an estate planning attorney. However, I do not pretend to be an expert in many fields of work (I'm not a doctor,  I'm not an engineer, etc.). Why do so many people think that they are an expert in estate planning?

During a regular consultation I usually get the same question 2-3 times “but isn’t it true that …”, to which my answer is most often “no, it is not true”. There are lots of misconceptions about the estate planning and Medicaid law. There are also lots of issues that you might not even be aware of that you need to think about.

Some of the examples include:

  1. If you are leaving your entire estate to only one person, to the exclusion of your other family, that person may need to go through YEARS of probate court procedures and hearings  before the assets get distributed to him.

  2. If you are leaving your money to a minor child outright, that child will receive all the money once he turns 18. Did you really think the child will be mature enough to handle the assets?

  3. If you are signing your will without attorney supervision, there is no presumption of its validity. That means it may be much easier to challenge your Will by anyone who believes he was unfairly treated by you!

  4. If one of the witnesses to your will is also a beneficiary under that will, a large part of the bequest to that person may be invalidated.

  5. If you are leaving money outright to a person with special needs, that person may lose her government benefits, including health care.

  6. If you are leaving money to your spouse, the money can be passed tax free. But if you are leaving money to your children, there may be federal and state estate taxes due.

  7. If you are leaving all of your assets to your spouse, and then later the spouse remarries, your children may not receive any money. Is this something that you wanted?

 These are just some of the examples of problems that 'simple' estate planning software can create.  All of the above examples could be avoided, with proper and knowledgeable planning. 

Disclaimer: This article only offers general information.  Each situation is unique. It is always helpful to talk to a specialized attorney, to figure out your various options and ramifications of actions.  As every case has subtle differences, please do not use this article for legal advice. Only a signed engagement letter will create an attorney-client relationship.


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