We frequently get calls from people asking if they can just use a legal form they found on the internet to create their power of attorney or will.
Yes, you can certainly create your own legal documents. However, I would highly recommend that you not try this at home. A lot of people think, we’re just regular people with regular assets; we can just use a generic form. Yet most of the probates we handle are for regular people with regular assets who didn’t properly use a trust, and now their kids are having to pay high legal fees and wait out an extended period of time to sort out those regular people’s estates.
Estate planning documents are very important—these aren’t matters you want to leave up to chance. When you’re unconscious in a hospital is not the time you want your children to find out your power of attorney was done incorrectly and that they can’t pay your bills because they don’t have access to your funds.
The fee you pay to get your documents done correctly is definitely worth the investment. You will likely save money for you and your family down the road by not having to pay to sort out a situation you didn’t even know you should be concerned about.
