Could you imagine an Estate Planning Lawyer selling wills or estate planning documents with a disclaimer in small print that your documents may not be valid in Louisiana or some other state.
Today I found another example of when using quicken is a bad idea. Paul Rabalais the author of Estate Planning in Louisiana: A Layman’s Guide to Understanding Wills, Trust, Probate, Power of Attorney, Medicaid, Living Wills & Taxes and Your Louisiana Estate Planning Blog wrote an article about how buying Quicken can be the Worst Buy at Best Buy. Apparently there is a small print on their software which says Estate Planning documents Not Valid in Louisiana. I wonder what other states their documents are not valid in. I have examined several trusts created by quicken, and they do not address the new Florida Trust Code that was implemented in 2007.
Some other examples of Do it your self wills and bad news are covered in my articles listed below
Do it Yourself Wills? More bad news and Do it Yourself Wills? a Good Idea or Not?
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 3
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 4
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 5
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 6
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 7
This is a common mistake found in Florida Probate cases, when people try to make their own wills, or transfer their assets without getting professional help from an attorney or accountant who is familiar with the effects of gifting and estate planning.
If you have used software, a form, or an online service to prepare your will, you should have it reviewed by a Florida Estate planning Attorney for potential problems.