I admit this fill-in-the-blank trust could have worked for the man. If what was on the forms already fit his needs, if he prepared a deed for his home, and if he transferred all of his other assets, it could have worked. (Even had all of this necessary service been included, I suspect he still paid too much for what he got.)

My point is this: steer clear of  fill-in-the blank estate planning documents.

I know you can download any form you want for .99¢ from legalcheap.com (I made that website up, don’t look for it) but what you save up front can and will come back to cost you in the end.  Legalcheap.com (again, made up) can’t provide you with experience, expertise, or personalized guidance.

I admit, I don’t draft every will or power-of-attorney I prepare from scratch; I use a template. That template serves as a foundation for good drafting. With input from my client, that template is modified and crafted to create a tool for my client that is uniquely suited to the client’s needs. Something a form simply can’t match.

If you or a loved one have fill-in-the-blank estate planning documents, have them reviewed to make sure they are 1) functional 2) meet current needs and 3) still make sensible allocations for the future.