What Lawyers Offer - Education, Experience and Knowledge

If you are thinking about doing your own estate planning documents -- think about this, are you already an expert in a certain area that you would be aghast if someone were to take on your skill themselves?

Say, are you a professional hair colorist? A skilled musical instrument repair person? A certified public accountant? The hair colorist, instrument repair person and CPA would all say you would be crazy to do your own hair color, fix your horn and file an estate tax return. 

As an estate planning attorney, I say that it would not be wise for you to do your own estate planning.

One of the biggest mistakes folks make at home is failing to fund their trust. Preparing trust transfer deeds and recording them with the county requires a very specialized how-to knowledge, that while I can do in my sleep, it would take you a few hours to master. And then you'd have to complete a PCOR. If you don't know what that is, then point taken.

Think of paying lawyers for estate planning as paying for knowledge and experience. Sure, the education factors in as well. Also, know that when you pay for estate planning you are not paying for the paper or the document production -- you are paying for our good education + bad experience, which as one lawyer put it on a listserve--  makes for great knowledge!