Making Last Will & Testament Without Lawyer Is Dangerous

RBC Partners With Epilogue Wills & CIBC With Willful To Expose Canadians To Online Drafting Software

“I have personally assisted many clients in the administration of an estate where the deceased person’s will was drafted with a Last Will & Testament Kit. I can tell you that every single one of them had major issues requiring additional legal work and expense to try to correct after the fact.” 

People don’t like talking about death. As lawyers, we often have to do this tough task when we plan and administer estates. Death is a huge event legally. There are many repercussions that the average person may not know or care about. Huge legal decisions are being made when planning your estate, so you need the advice of a lawyer. 

At least two of the big banks in Canada seem to disagree with the idea that the average person deserves legal advice when making big decisions. CIBC & RBC have partnered with online will production software firms to expose Canadians to online do-it-yourself wills. This is a deep slight against the estate planning law firms that have used their lending services in the past.

“Last Will & Testament Kit”s should be carefully scrutinized. Most people have not analyzed the risks fully before deciding to use one of these services. 

If you accidentally misuse one of these products, you could be creating big problems for your estate. This could be as simple as leaving out something important or being vague.

Why Are Will Kits Dangerous?

Kady Stachiw, one of the estate planning lawyers at Larson Lawyers says: “I have personally assisted many clients in the administration of an estate where the deceased person’s will was drafted with a Will Kit. I can tell you that every single one of them had major issues.”

What is missing from a Will Kit, whether it is an online version like Willful or on paper, is legal advice tailored to your specific situation. There is no “one size fits all” approach to estate planning. A will is only one part of your estate plan, but not all of it. 

A Will Kit is, at best, an exercise in filling in the blanks. It doesn’t address or provide advice for things such as tax planning, minor children, disabled beneficiaries, and unequal treatment of beneficiaries, to name a few. When you have a lawyer draft the document you can be confident that all your bases are covered. 

The online Will Kit you may be considering does not come with any legal advice of any kind. In fact, it specifically excludes the provision of any legal advice. That means you are on your own when it comes to your estate planning.  

What Do You Get From Larson Lawyers When You Call Us For A Last Will And Testament?

• We offer many ways to get your first consultation. You can come into the office, or you can ask us to make other arrangements that make you more comfortable, such as a house call.

• At this first meeting, we will get to know each other covering things such as your family tree, your assets, your debts, and your burial or funeral wishes. Then we will discuss various scenarios – what happens if you die before your spouse? What happens if your spouse dies before you? What happens if one of your children predeceases you? These are your will instructions.

• We will draft your Last Will and Testament based on the instructions and will email you the draft documents for your review. The documents can be kind of intense, so we will review them with you in detail so that you understand everything in them.

• We will meet with you either in person or virtually to sign your documents. 

You can then be confident that your family is protected, and they will get what it is you want them to have from the hard work you put in over your lifetime. 

What Should You Do To Plan Your Estates?

You will also have peace of mind that as you age, your family will have written instructions on how to care for you if you become incapacitated. 

Our services at Larson Lawyers are a very different product than a fill-in-the-blank DIY Will from the internet or store. 

We always recommend speaking with a lawyer regarding your estate plan for the same reason that we recommend contacting an electrician to assist you with electrical issues or a plumber for plumbing problems. If you want something to be done correctly and to work as it is supposed to, get a professional. 

While a Will Kit will definitely save you money upfront, we think that ensuring your estate is planned in the best way possible is worth a few extra dollars in order to save your estate and beneficiaries from a costly and lengthy litigation matter after you die. 

Drafting your Last Will and Testament with a lawyer is never going to be the cheapest option, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.