Are those online last will and testament's any good?

[commander bunnypants]

I need to do mine.

CB

[trotsky]

1. Yes.

We did ours on LegalZoom.com. Very easy, very cheap (compared to hiring a lawyer).

[Wickerman]

2. They're pretty good

if you are disposing of limited personal property. Knicknacks, furniture, etc. If you have any real value to your personal property save your heirs some hassle and find a lawyer - for 200$ the average person can get a fairly tight will.

[Inland]

3. Great, if you really don't give a damn in the first place.

If you want some assurance that your last wishes are followed, see a lawyer. A Will is about the only thing that is binding even if you are dead, even if all your survivors want something different. It also forecloses the ability of survivors to argue over legacies.

But wills are technical, so you need a lawyer, who should be able to do a simple will cheaply---relatively cheaply.

Form, online, doityourself wills are cheap but you don't get the assurance that a lawyer can give you that it is going to actually work. A lawyer has to stand behind his work. The form giver disclaims any responsibility. The form doesn't care if your family ends up in litigation. The form can't be sued if it screws up.

That's why I tell people, hey, if it doesn't matter to you all THAT much what happens to your stuff when you die, save a buck and use a form. Or, do what I do, even though I am an attorney: don't bother with a will. But if does matter and you want to be sure, have an attorney draft it and make sure it is executed properly.

[commander bunnypants]

4. ok

that was what i was thinking

How much do you thinlk

cb

[Inland]

5. It should cost?

Depends, of course. But if someone came to me and had an estate under a million dollars, and wanted to, say, leave everthing to wife but if she dies first then to kids, I'd probably charge $350, 400, something like that, to get the entire thing done.

[commander bunnypants]

6. how about an estate under 300k?

I only own a house aand two cars.. I aint no rich republican


CB

[Inland]

7. The size of the estate

only matters because it has tax implications, at least here in Illinois. Anything under a mill doesn't have tax implications. So one to a million more or less is about the same.