Boilerplate documents are everywhere on the internet. You can search for wills and find multiple documents and websites that can help you quickly enter your personal information on to a preexisting form.
While this may seem like a fast and efficient solution, it may actually do more harm than good. There are a number of issues that you and your loved ones could face if you rely on a digital will with generic language for your estate planning needs.
The will probably won’t be specific enough
Your family relationships, personal history and assets are different than anyone else’s. Why would someone else’s estate plan or will properly address all of your needs?
The truth is that estate plans require highly specific language in order to maximize the protection for you and the people that you want to leave your property to after you die. Custom estate plans are far more beneficial in terms of control and enforceability than wills and other documents made using an online template.
It might be easier for someone to challenge
Creating an estate plan means that you have a legacy you want to leave, even if your only hope is just that your children won’t fight with each other after you die. Unfortunately, a basic, digital will executed online won’t protect your wishes or family members from challenges. In fact, a digital will not witnessed by a lawyer or notary could be easier for someone to challenge as fraudulent after you die.
Sitting down with an attorney to create an estate plan that reflects your unique family circumstances and the legacy you would most like to leave behind will benefit you and the people that you love and hope to protect even after you die.