August 8, 2019

WARNING! Get Wills online for free schemes are just that, schemes. Online estate planning websites that cater towards generating your personal Wills have been popping up everywhere on social media platforms, lately. We continue to advise our clients that these online generators are not adequate substitutes for proper attorney drafted estate planning documents.
Recently, one of our attorneys was scrolling through their personal social media account and an advertisement for a free online Will appeared on his screen. Due to curiosity, our attorney completed the required information the website requested, and his Will was completed within minutes.

Upon review of the generated document, we noticed many issues. Firstly being, these online generators do not have the correct language required by statute. Additionally, the estate planning documents licensed attorneys draft are a fraction of the length the online Will was. This tells us that the will is full of unnecessary, and confusing information, which could lead to your estate being contested upon your passing. By incorporating irrelevant language into a document as important as your Will, your true intent in making your bequests to your heirs is misconstrued. This is just one of the many issues that may arise upon creating an invalid Will.
Thirdly, an online generator of legal documents, such as a Will, does not provide for a specific tailoring of your desires. Online Wills are a “one size fits all” approach in a one size does not fit all legal document. We suggest seeking in-person counsel to make sure your Will accurately reflects your intent.

The Disclaimer for the particular web app used by our attorney states: “Disclaimer: __________ is not a law firm, nor does it provide legal advice. Financial products and services are provided by ______, a wholly owned subsidiary of ________; _______ and _______ may use third party data believed to be reliable, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that data.”
The most important component of your Will is to make sure your desires are being carried out upon your death. Clair Law has many competent and qualified attorneys to help draft a Will or other estate planning documents that meet the State of Wisconsin’s criteria, and carry out your desires to your spouse, children, and other beneficiaries.