- You won’t realize your mistakes until it’s too late
Making a do-it-yourself Will means you won’t have a legal professional looking over your Will, checking to see if it is up to standards and that it accurately reflects your wishes.
If you make a mistake anywhere in your Will or if your Will is inaccurate, incomplete, or imprecise in any way, no one will know until after you die when your Will undergoes the probate process in order to be validated.
By then, you will have no way to clarify or correct anything in your Will, and this may cause your loved ones a lot of unnecessary grief and hassle and even additional expenses.
- You don’t know what you don’t know
Without a proper legal background, Wills can be complicated. Although you may have an idea of what you want to put in your Will, the truth is you may not know enough about the specific case law and legislation that you need to refer to when making a valid and accurate Will. - You risk neglecting the ‘What if’ scenarios
Simple Will kits usually do not cover all the different scenarios that could happen. What if your main beneficiary is involved in an accident at the same time as you? What if your Executor is no longer capable of performing the tasks? What if your chosen guardian for your children becomes unavailable? A lawyer can go through the ‘what if’ scenarios with you and ensure that everything is accounted for. - They cannot account for your unique needs
Every person has their own specific needs and wishes. A generic Will kit can’t fit everyone’s bills perfectly. If you have a specific wish that you want to include in your Will, you may not know exactly how to put it in there such that it will be carried out properly and without complications. - They are an additional hassle that’s not worth the ‘savings’
Although the cheap costs of a DIY Will may be very tempting, there are many hidden dangers that you may not realize. It will provide you a peace of mind going to a lawyer to have your Will done accurately than to do it yourself and risk making mistakes that will have costly and challenging consequences.
If you or a loved one is in need of advice regarding Wills or wish to have assistance in making one, consult Vancouver and Burnaby Wills & Estates lawyer Andrew Rebane at Resolutions Law Corporation, Burnaby, British Columbia at [email protected] or 778-372-7107.
