We know you’ve seen or heard about websites that offer do-it-yourself legal services. Maybe 
you’ve met someone who can set you up with a Will for a low cost. You’ve weighed your options: pay for a lawyer or complete a much cheaper online template? We’ll admit it can be tempting, but with those savings comes a bit of a headache. Here’s why we suggest choosing a lawyer over an online service for your North Carolina Will.
False Sense of Security
You often don’t know if there are errors in your legal documents until too late. Errors in a Will are often only revealed after death. Similarly, problems in a contract are not normally identified until the parties are already engaged in a fight and looking at the contract to provide legal backing for their side.
One of the biggest issues that people have encountered when using do-it-yourself document preparation sites is that consumers are left with a false sense of security after completing these documents by themselves. Online legal documents can be out of date, inaccurate, or just flat out wrong, which may get your documents thrown out of court. Some of these websites do not use the standard state forms, which means a county clerk may reject it. Also, fill-in-the-blank Will forms are not always valid under North Carolina laws.
Small errors can have significant consequences. When the stakes are high, the last thing you want is errors in your legal documents. In one recent case, a missing comma cost a company millions of dollars.
May Not Provide the Counsel You Need
Planning for the future of your family or estate rarely is as simple as an online template would lead you to believe. Every situation is unique and should be treated as such as such.
Unfortunately, the disclaimer of online legal sites that their services are clearly not a substitute for the advice of an attorney, a lot of people use these websites with the mindset that by purchasing these services they can completely dodge hiring a lawyer, and therefore do not double check that their documents are executable.
Even with their guarantee of legal professionals on-hand to help, an online service is not a law firm. When you’re filling out these forms online, the company is not permitted to review any of your answers for legal sufficiency, draw legal conclusions, provide legal advice or apply the law to the facts of your particular situation.
If you are thinking of drafting up legal documents whether that be a Will, contract, or power of attorney, please contact Kelly & West Attorneys. We will walk you through the process of setting up these documents with excellent customer service and over 30 years of experience. Let us help you prepare for the future.
