Willmaker Software | Not Recomended by this Michigan Lawyer

As a Michigan estate planning lawyer, I am a little worried whenever I hear someone is using Willmaker, Suze Orman Living Trust, Legalzoom, or any of the other Last Will and Testament or Living Trust document preparation software.

Well, today, I was watching an email exchange between estate planning lawyers and one of the lawyers offered a personal story about meeting with a client and presented a will prepared by Willmaker.

I can talk to you all day about how Michigan estate planning is more than just preparing documents, but reviewing goals, family planning, beneficiary planning, making estate administration easier, etc.

Well, this attorney found the “Holy Grail” reason for not using Willmaker software (or really any of the others).  When he reviewed the Will, it wasn’t a validly executed Will based off state law because the document that purported to be a WIll did not have the necessary execution requirements.  This is a fatal flaw for the person who thought they had everything “take care of.”

In other words, IT WASN’T A WILL, like the client thought.  Pretty scary to think about.

Don’t think that using Willmaker, Legalzoom, Suze Orman Trusts, is really benefiting your loved ones. You could be leaving them a legal mess when you pass and your “estate plan” is put to the test.

-Christopher J. Berry, Esq.
Michigan Estate Planning Lawyer