The internet is the grand marketplace of everything. Where else can you shop for houses, cars, electronics, clothing and legal documents? That’s right – legal documents!
Several prominent companies have been offering do-it-yourself legal documents over the internet for some time. Even a reputable nationwide radio personality endorses one of these companies. Therefore, these do-it-yourself legal documents must be the way to go – right?
Most people who spend $15, $20, or $30 on these online do-it-yourself documents don’t know what they are doing or the legal consequences of these documents. Also, these “one size fits all” documents are often not state-specific (regardless of their claims) and are not tailored or intended to fit every situation.
I recently drafted a Trust for a client who had prepared a Revocable Trust Agreement from one of these online do-it-yourself legal document companies. My client had enough insight to question whether this form Trust agreement did what she wanted it to do. It didn’t come close! My client wasted her money and time with this do-it-yourself online form.
I’ve also seen other, more simple online do-it-yourself documents that have been utilized such as deeds, simple wills and leases. These too often fall far short of the mark, and these do-it-yourself deeds that are filed in the land records can create clouds on title or create a problem with the chain of title. When this happens, the $15 bargain you think you got on the do-it-yourself legal document can end up costing you or your heirs thousands of dollars in legal costs to unravel and fix the problem it created (if the problem can be fixed).
That’s why it’s always best to hire an attorney to handle your legal needs. The money you spend on an attorney to prepare the legal documents will pale in comparison to the costs to fix a problem later.
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