There are times when you consider hiring someone to do a job and then say to yourself, you know what, I can do this myself and save some money, and I think I’d actually enjoy it. This mentality is what keeps the parking lots of the home improvement stores buzzing on the weekends, and there is nothing wrong with rolling up your sleeves and tackling a do-it-yourself project. However, you have to pick your spots in this regard. You wouldn’t want to take out your child’s tonsils with instructions you got over the Internet. And by the same token, it is not advisable to handle estate planning matters on your own.
There are do-it-yourself will kits and software programs out there, and of course they are marketed with the notion that “it’s so simple even a child can do it.” In matters like this you have to use some common sense, because if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Wills are legal documents that will have to go under the scrutiny of the probate or surrogate court upon your passing. There are different probate laws in each state, so there can be no true “one size fits all document.” Probate attorneys understand the intricacies of the surrogate courts in their area and they prepare wills for smooth passage through probate
Your will is intended to express your after-death wishes and elucidate the terms of the distribution of assets the you have build throughout your entire life. This is a rather important matter, and it is not a paint-by-numbers affair. The correct course of action is to consult with an estate planning attorney when you want to draw up your will. Legal matters are best left in the hands of professionals, and it makes no sense to prepare your estate for probate without the assistance of an experienced probate attorney
Mr. Nirenstein is licensed to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations, and the Estate and Probate, Elder Law, Business Law and Real Estate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.
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