The Dangers of DIY Estate Planning

People love DIY projects, but is it ever a good idea to DIY your estate planning? In recent years, our firm has seen a growing trend of “do-it-yourself” estate planning. Some people believe they can save money by creating their own estate planning documents or amendments. Whether they draft the documents themselves or use the Internet, we see many problems arise from DIY estate planning.

Case Study: Susan

A client of our firm, who we’ll call “Susan”, became very sick and knew she would soon pass. Before she died, she wanted to make some changes to her estate plan.

Instead of asking an attorney to draft an amendment to her trust, Susan simply wrote her own amendment on some Teddy Bear stationery. Shortly thereafter, Susan passed away. The time had come to administer her estate plan.

Susan’s handwritten amendment was very ambiguous, which created confusion regarding the distribution of her estate. The Probate Court had to help interpret what the client’s intent had been. Ultimately, the confusion created by the DIY amendment cost the client’s estate an additional $15,000.

This real-life example illustrates well why you should never attempt to create or amend your own estate planning documents.

Internet Estate Planning Forms

In recent years, internet websites such as NOLO and LegalZoom have popped up offering do-it-yourself estate planning forms. While seemingly convenient, these websites take no responsibility for their documents if they fail to work when you pass away.

Compare this with a reputable estate planning law firm, which will take full legal responsibility for the documents they draft. If issues arise during the trust administration process, the attorney will be there to help if needed. They can review notes taken while meeting with you, memos that were written, and testify as to your intentions at the time you created your estate plan.

Homemade Amendments

Another major pitfall is homemade amendments, and not just those written haphazardly on Teddy Bear stationary. We’ve had clients type up their desired estate planning changes and get that paper notarized, thinking that a Notary Stamp will make the document “legally binding”.

Please understand: A Notary Public’s only job is to verify that you proved your identity to them. A Notary stamp in no way validates a document’s contents.

Common Problems Created by DIY Estate Planning

Attempting to write your own legal documents can create a myriad of problems for the family members left behind. Here are common problems that result from do-it-yourself estate planning:

• Having to prove to a court that a will was executed with the necessary legal formalities
• Failing to take advantage of appropriate tax planning
• Giving gifts inappropriately (such as to minor children, beneficiaries with drug problems, or beneficiaries who are on governmental assistance, causing them to lose their benefits)

DIY Estate Planning Costs MORE

While clients may hope to save a few hundred dollars by doing their own estate planning, the confusion and legal ambiguity created can and often does result in tens of thousands of dollars of trust litigation later on. It’s probably not worth it.

Remember: estate planning law is complex and specialized. Even attorneys who practice in other areas of the law usually hire an estate planning attorney to create their estate plan. If you would like to create or make changes to your estate plan, be sure to seek the counsel of an experienced estate planning attorney.

Law Offices of Daniel A. Hunt

The Law Offices of Daniel A. Hunt is a California law firm specializing in Estate Planning; Trust Administration & Litigation; Probate; and Conservatorships. We've helped over 10,000 clients find peace of mind. We serve clients throughout the greater Sacramento region and the state of California.