Do I need a lawyer? I bought a software package and it seems easy to fill out the forms on my own.

Don’t do it. Would you figure out the treatment for your diabetes or heart disease on your own? Probably not. Sure, you might research some herbal remedies or up your exercise, but in the long run serious medical diseases require the diligent eye of a professional. Think of your estate as something serious, not left to the whims of a software program created with the sole intent to churn out a large subscription based service.

The only time a self-created will make sense is when you have almost nothing to give away and your family all agrees. There is a reason there are court cases battling property over years. The textbooks on estate law cover multitudes of cases where the person created their own will. Often, the person did not make their intentions crystal clear (they did not have a will or did not update their old one) so after death, the estate goes into a dispute.

This trend of do-it-yourself wills has spread significantly through the internet. In the past decade, much legal work has become automated and software programs are cropping up everywhere. In some ways this is a great technological improvement. Some areas of the legal field should be automated. However, estate planning is not one size fits all. Each state varies with their rules and regulations. Estate planning software covers only the basic needs. Courts will look keenly at the document, and if there is any doubt (a word is not clear, a signature is missing, etc) the entire will becomes invalid and the entire estate goes to probate. Do you want to leave your loved ones scrambling after your death, dealing with state related issues you didn’t address?

Estate attorneys have the experience and know how; it is worth having the formal paperwork. Property and family are messy, and intentions and egos come into play. Better to keep things crystal clear.