Re: Questions about creating a "WILL" on line ??

deja vu · ‎03-09-2010

@Goldengate8361 wrote:
Good to know. I had wondered the same thing. For some reason, however, I thought that Legal Zoom now wanted to have you pay a monthly fee to keep your will on hand for you.....Doesn't sound like something I'd want to do. I'd rather do a one-time deal and save the hard copy. I hope that's still an option.

I am curious to hear if there are other online services for wills that others have had good experiences using......

Thanks everyone, I'm reading all of your replies.. and I hope some others chime in. L.Zoom was sounding good until you mentioned possible monthly fee.... I'm trying to help a family member that does not particularly want to go to a lawyers office.

~love hard~~play hard~~be kind~~~life is short~

Hooty · ‎03-09-2010

A basic will is really not that expensive drawn up by an Attorney, (my husband is one). Drawing one up on line, you still have to have your signature witnessed and notarized!

meem120 · ‎03-09-2010

We have no monthly fee with. Legal Zoom. We only did our wills last year.

meem120 · ‎03-09-2010

When we consulted a local lawyer it would have

been over $3000. To do the 3 things we wanted done. Our bank notarized everything for free.

GingerPeach · ‎03-12-2010

The party can also create what is called a "holographic will" which is completely handwritten in the creator's own handwriting. Different states have rules about what they accept (a few states do not accept them at all), but for the most part, these wills do not even have to necessarily be witnessed, although it is common for them to have witness signatures.

These are mostly for those wishing to leave goods to beneficiaries but obviously are free.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.

nomless · ‎03-10-2010

For something as important as a will, I would consult a lawyer. I'm my area, lawyers charge about $400 to do a 4-document package - a will, durable POA and POA for healthcare, and living will. JMO.

tobes · ‎08-02-2010

Not a will because it was not needed. But about 10 years ago I did a POA and Health Directive for my mother who has since passed away. I had no problems with any of the documents being questioned. I did all her financial transactions and health transactions with no problem with any authority. It was not Legal Zoom but another vendor which I cannot remember. It was then very reasonable - about $35 per document. Very easy to do online as well. I had our friend who was a funeral director notarize all the documents at no charge. Very reasonable, but remember it was about 10 years ago.

missy1 · ‎03-10-2010

As long as a will is notorized, it's legal? You can keep the will anywhere? A lawyer doesn't have to be involved?

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

I work for a law firm and we do loads of estate planning. My advice to anyone would be to speak with an attorney and find out how much it would be to have EP papers done locally. I saw someone posted that they paid $300.00 to have EP papers done. For those same documents....2 wills, 2 Power of Attorneys and 2 Health Care Powers of Attorney, our office wouldn't even charge that much. But I know there are a lot of firms that would charge double and triple that.

We get a lot of homemade and home done estate planning documents in our office and rarely are they ever complete and rarely do they work the way the maker wanted them to work. Something ends up left out or messed up, done incorrectly, etc. and it ends up costing more in attorney fees after the fact to fix everything.

@missy1, in Ohio, Wills are not notarized. They only have to be witnessed by 2 people. A lawyer doesn't have to be involved and a Will can be kept anywhere. But someone needs to know where your original will is kept because if it gets lost, there is a procedure that has to be followed to get a copy of a Will admitted to probate court. And if there is no copy and no one knows where the original is, forget it.