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Heirs Sue Over Use of Will-Making Software | More Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning Gone Wrong
June 17, 2009
Filed under: Do It Yourself Estate Planning Gone Wrong,Estate Planning,LegalZoom,Quicken Willmaker,Suze Orman — Christopher J. Berry | Estate & Elder Law Attorney @ 8:26 pm
I stumbled upon an old story about how the heirs sued because of the use of do-it-yourself estate planning software. In this case the software was Quicken Willmaker or Quicken Family Lawyer, but it could be Legalzoom, or Suze Orman’s Trust Kit, or any other of the will and trust in a box products.
What happened was that an insurance agent was sued for “unauthorized practice of law” when he used the Quicken Willmaker software to create a will for a 91 year old woman.
This is just another case where the Nolo’s, Quicken Willmaker’s, Suze Orman Trust Kit’s, and Legalzooms of the world have caused more problems then good as people look to create their own estate plans. This shows why many state bar’s, like Texas, have tried to ban these products because they in the end harm the consumer.
You can read the article at CNET.
Christopher J. Berry, Esq., A Michigan Wills and Trusts Attorney, is a Partner with Witzke Berry PLLC, which practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate.
photo from www.gamerswithjobs.com
By the way, here are some excerpts from the case:
