Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania

Re: Software for wills

I cannot advise you to use software to do your will. Without knowing the state, federal and tax issues involved in estate planning, doing a will without a lawyer is penny wise and dollar foolish. Attorneys spend years becoming knowledgable about all of the issues that may need to be addressed in your estate planning. A mistake made in your estate planning could cost your heirs thousands of dollars. Call an attorney. I guarantee that after meeting with an attorney you will agree that you could not have spotted all of the issues needed to do your estate plan.

Re: Software for wills

While there is such software, it cannot adequately guide you to what may be the most appropriate plan for your situation. The services that estate planning attorneys provide are to help the client identify the issues and the client's goals, and to make the appropriate provisions.

In order for wills to be valid and accepted for probate, they must be signed with witnesses and properly acknowledged and notarized. It is best to have assistance of an estates attorney for this, rather than investing in software and preparing documents which may later not be good, leaving your estate subject to the intestacy laws.

I think it may be a useful idea to use such software to help you organize your information and identify some of the decisions you will have to make. Using the software to prepare a "draft" of your will documents, you should then meet with an attorney to help you finalize the documents and make sure that you have all the documents to effect your plan.