https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:25:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720788 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 12:05:01 +0000 krispi 2720788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just finished up our estate planning a couple of weeks ago. My work provides legal insurance as a benefit, and I pay a little into it each pay period. I went through the legal insurance to find an attorney, which made it very affordable and easy for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720783 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:57:25 +0000 HappyBaker 2720783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: We have also recently added this to the top of our to do list after meeting recently with a financial planner - he said that in our state basically DCF decides who your kids go to - so for example if both sets of grandparents volunteered to take them, DCF would be the deciding factor. Which is nuts to me so we definitely need to do this ASAP. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720780 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:48:08 +0000 Mrs. Blue 2720780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll join @LBee: in throwing out a cautionary flag. State laws are very different regarding wills and trusts, so I would not use anything that is not specifically from your state. Also, the legal services websites can by okay for the most basic of basic things, but if you have anything at all that might be different, contested, or complex, I would seriously consider at least getting a consultation with an estate planning attorney to see how much they would charge. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720774 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:37:21 +0000 snowjewelz 2720774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh every time a post like this pops up I am reminded that we need to get one done too! We also don't have anything complicated.</p> <p>Does anyone know what happens in the case there is no will set in place? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720758 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:24:10 +0000 youboots 2720758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used an attorney but I just wanted to pop in and be a cheerleader. It was not a super long or difficult process and I'm so glad to have it done </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720723 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 10:29:25 +0000 Boogs 2720723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: We did a trust for our grandma and I agree it wasn't too complicated or expensive. The lawyer we would pay is a bit more pricey, but our situation is a little more complicated and we just want to make sure thinks are setup well. Now if we could only decide on guardians for our kids that we are comfortable with. :/</p> <p>@MrsF: I definitely suggest making things as straightforward as possible. We are dealing with a family trust issue right now and it's a mess! Something that should have been really straightforward has led to a complicated matter with a very expensive lawyer, a lot of people with their hands tied, and someone on the verge of being homeless. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720702 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:38:50 +0000 LBee 2720702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsF: Of course :happy: - it's tempting to try to find a less expensive route, but I'd really encourage you to pursue a website like Legal Zoom if consulting with an estate attorney is not an option right now. I did it with a client recently and was able to find a promo code that made it like $70 for everything for her. It specifically considers your state and walks you through the process. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720701 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:38:07 +0000 looch 2720701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just want to throw out there that sometimes, employers offer legal benefits similar to health insurance. Certain plans offer estate planning as part of the monthly cost (we pay about $12 a month for the Cadillac package, which includes estate planning). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720698 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:35:46 +0000 MrsF 2720698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: That makes sense about the issues state to state. I had heard that before but wasn't thinking. Thanks for the advice re: LegalZoom and estate planning in general. I appreciate it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720694 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:30:34 +0000 LBee 2720694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just want to caution everybody that estate documents written for a specific state doesn't necessarily translate to other states. When a client moves from one state we usually have to research whether the Will's verbiage still applies. We have an attorney who does this for us for free, luckily. For instance, if you live in a community property state then your Will might be quite different. </p> <p>We recommend clients use Legal Zoom if they have basic estate planning needs. Most of your assets most likely transfer outside of probate so your main needs will consist of establishing guardianship and most likely a trust for your children. If you create a trust, you will want to update life insurance and other accounts with beneficiaries to reflect this. Legal Zoom is completely capable of walking you through the process and should cost less than $150 each. </p> <p>A good estate planning document should last several years (if not decades) and can be revised via inexpensive codicils as life changes (such as you deciding to use different trustees, etc). I would view your estate documents as a long term investment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720687 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:21:53 +0000 Adira 2720687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bakingdoodle: Wall me your e-mail address and I'll forward it to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720684 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:18:51 +0000 bakingdoodle 2720684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: can I get it a copy of your template? I've been meaning to take care of that but didn't know how to start. Wasn't sure about Legalzoom, willing.com and etc...<br /> Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720675 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:00:47 +0000 Adira 2720675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsF: Walled you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720672 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:58:39 +0000 MrsF 2720672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: ooh, I'd love that. thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720670 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:56:12 +0000 Adira 2720670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my friends' married a lawyer and she drew up their Wills, so he e-mailed them to me so I could use them. I just changed the names of all involved, then Hubs and I went to the City's Clerk's office to have them signed, witnessed, and notarized.</p> <p>I can e-mail you a template if you're interested. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-used-legalzoom-or-another-online-product-for-a-will-guardianship-documents#post-2720648 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:07:28 +0000 MrsF 2720648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are expecting to baby #3 in June and having a will / something documented about guardianship is on my pre-baby to do list. I've contacted a couple of local attorneys, including one who gives a discount to my MOMS club, but the cost is just way outside of what we are looking to allocate right now. Our financial situation isn't overly complicated so we're just looking for something simple for now. Maybe we'll do a trust or something with an attorney at a later date. </p> <p>Any experiences or recommendations? </p>