Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning-Continued

There’s a danger in DIY estate planning documents, though, just as there is a danger in letting a broken limb heal all by itself.  By trying to “be one’s own lawyer”, one may be missing important tax savings, special handling for heirs who may not be able to handle money; and any of the countless other things that a lawyer with training, experience and instinct can identify.  Properly done, estate planning documents should reflect the best and most accurate statements of all of one’s intentions about money, children, health care, and, yes, even death.

And the documents should work as they were intended.

A DIY estate plan is much like a broken bone healing by itself.  Its owner may, and sometimes will, end up with a result which not everything that was intended, and, at worst, it may be deformed and may not work at all.

My wife trusts her orthopedist.  He explained all the options, the surgery, the healing process, and the expected result.  Although she is apprehensive about the surgery, her doctor understood.  He was calm, reassuring, confident and hopeful.  She expects and deserves no less than the best when something as important as her right hand is involved.

A good estate planning attorney should be the same way.