As a team of Texas estate planning attorneys, we often face similar questions from the clients and prospective clients we meet. One such question that many clients ask is: what’s the problem with a DIY will? Our short answer, which we will delve into more through this blog, is that a “do it yourself” will only works until it doesn’t work. While it can end up being legally valid, there are often complications that arise, and it’s often not worth the risk to you and to your loved ones down the road.
As online legal services become more and more popular, many individuals become increasingly interested in getting an online will. These wills do not require speaking to an estate planning attorney, but instead allow you to fill out online forms and quickly get a will that might work for you. There are three main issues that we see with these wills, and we will address each issue below.
1. Is the Will Valid?
In Texas, there are several requirements that a will must meet in order to be valid. It must, for example, be executed properly, self-proving, and written down. It must make sense and it must be able to survive legal scrutiny during probate. While an online will might meet these requirements, odds are there might be some difficulties that the will does not take into consideration.