If you are considering a DIY (do it yourself) will, you need to think carefully about whether this is really the best approach to take or not. While DIY wills can seem tempting, it is often a mistake to just try to create a will yourself without legal guidance. Your will can help to shape your legacy, and something this important should not be left up to chance. You need to have the proper advice and guidance to make certain you are creating the future you want for your loved ones.Â
Barbara M. Pizzolato, P.A. can provide assistance with the creation of a will. Our Fort Myers estate planning lawyers offer the type of guidance and advice you do not get when you make a DIY will. We also work hard to make sure our estate planning services are affordable, as well as providing you with the protections that you expect and deserve.
To find out more about how we can help you with the creation of a will and how we can make sure that you get to shape your legacy, give us a call today.
Why a DIY Will is Not a Good Option
A DIY will is not a good option for lots of different reasons. Some of the big downsides to making a DIY will include the following:
- Laws on wills are specific to the state where the property owner lives. In Florida, for example, Chapter 732 provides details on the creation of a valid will. A will must be signed by the testator (the person who creates the will) or by a designated person of the testator’s choosing. The will has to be signed in the presence of two attesting witnesses who also must sign. Â Other than holographic wills, a will is going to be accepted and enforceable only if these requirements are met. Since state laws differ from place to place, you don’t want to try to make a DIY will that doesn’t follow the rules where you live.
- Mistakes may not be found in time. If you make mistakes because you create a DIY will, those mistakes may not be discovered until you have passed on or become incapacitated. The mistakes, in other words, often cannot be corrected. You could lose control over what happens to property and your family could be left fighting and struggling to determine what happens to your assets because your DIY will is not valid.
- Wills might not be the only estate planning tool you need. If you just make a DIY will, you could end up losing out on the opportunity to use other estate planning tools that would have provided you with important benefits and protections that allow you to control your continued living. Working with an estate planning lawyer lets you make sure you can accomplish your goals by using the right Florida legal tools.
These are just a few of the key reasons why DIY will creation is usually a bad idea. While you might save a little money on legal fees during the creation process, you can cost yourself and your family a lot of money in legal fees if the will is not considered valid. You can also cause a lot of family fighting and heartache, as well as losing control of the legacy planning process, if you don’t get the right legal advice to make a valid will.
Get Professional Estate Planning Advice Today
You cannot afford to wait to get estate planning advice because no one ever knows what the future will bring. Just because you believe a DIY will has been prepared that will protect you, this does not necessarily mean your wishes will be respected or that you will leave behind the legacy you expect. You don’t want to wait to ensure that your family is provided for and the assets you have worked hard to acquire are distributed according to your wishes. Even young people are at risk of something happening and need the right estate planning advice. Call today to speak with a Fort Myers lawyer to get the guidance and assistance you need.
Contact a Fort Myers Wills and Trusts Lawyer Now
A DIY will is not going to be the right choice for you because you cannot afford to make mistakes and because you need to make sure you get the right advice from an attorney who understands Florida law.  A Fort Myers estate planning lawyer can do much more than just help you to create a will- an attorney can help you to create a legacy. Call Barbara M. Pizzolato, P.A. today at (239)-225-7911 or contact us online to learn more about the process of creating a last will and testament and the process of using other estate planning tools that will be legally valid in the state of Florida and that will provide the protection you deserve.