Pros of Attorney Drafted Wills

Even though you know a thousand things, ask the man who knows one. - Turkish Proverb

Lawyers are specially trained professionals that regularly handle legal matters for their clients. Licensed attorneys complete at least three years of advanced legal education and must pass a rigorous comprehensive two-day exam. They are also strictly regulated by a state governing body (which can't be said by all professions.)

Wills can and do get complicated and consulting somebody with legal knowledge can really come in handy. You should strongly consider using an attorney when making a will in the following situations:

• If you don't have the desire or the inclination to handle this kind of stuff.
• When the gross value of your estate exceeds the federal estate tax exemption amount.
• When you expect your heirs to contest your will after you are gone (e.g., a potential challenge to the will based on fraud, undue influence, or forgery).
• When you predict your heirs may have trouble managing their own business affairs (e.g., due to age, handicap, lack of experience, or laziness).
• When your estate includes business or partnership interests.
• When you plan to set up a trust and coordinate it with your will.
• When unusual circumstances or concerns are present.

Tip Take a moment to consider your options. If you put together a will yourself, you have nobody to blame but yourself. (Of course, you won't be around to suffer the consequences, your survivors will bear the brunt of the hassles and expense.) If you use a canned will, it will include a disclaimer of legal liability that always blames you for not going to an attorney in the first place. If you use an attorney, he or she is applying his or her professional expertise for your benefit, taking responsibility to accomplish your goals, and putting his or her professional reputation on the line to serve you. That's why you pay a premium for an attorney's advice and counsel. Still, it is important for you to pick your attorney carefully.

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