February 25, 2020

Today, thanks to the multitude of online resources and tools you can find about many different legal processes including estate planning, it’s easy to feel a sense of security about taking on this project DIY. Creating your own will might seem simple enough, but it’s a task you can tackle on your own. However, minor changes in wording can have big ramifications on how your will is processed through probate and who receives what.

In these situations, it can sometimes make much more sense to partner with an experienced and dedicated estate planning attorney who can guide you through the process. Avoiding DIY estate planning and turning right to an attorney is also recommended if you intend to use a trust.

Trust can be tricky because at their base element, they are a legal document to pass assets to a beneficiary. However, trust can involve much more complicated maneuvers such as conditions attached to a bequest like handing out money only after the beneficiary reaches a certain age or dispersing funds over time. There are tax advantages to irrevocable trusts, but the ability to update a revocable trust also means this is something you should consider while consulting with your estate planning attorney.

While there are usually some estate documents that could be done without consulting with a CPA or a lawyer, the potential future impacts of these documents cannot be understated. Partnering with an experienced and dedicated estate planning lawyer will not only give you peace of mind, but ensure that you have protected what is most important to you. Avoiding these mistakes can make things that much easier for your loved ones.