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I'm in Oklahoma, and there's a local office of something called We
the People, which as I understand it is a national franchise
offering certain services without using a lawyer.
I dropped by there, and they would prepare a simple will, durable
power of attorney, advance health care directive and medical proxy,
all for $199.
My situation is extremely simple - single, no children, with
everything going to my brother, who would also be the executor (he
lives in Texas, if that matters).
I'll be checking with some local law firms, but I suspect I won't be
able to get them to even say hello for less than $500, and probably
a good bit more, even though this would be pure boiler-plate stuff.
Does anybody here have any experience with We the People? Does it
sound like a reasonable way to go? Any other low-cost alternative.
Actually, I've even thought about doing it all myself, and even
saving the $199. :-)
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I'm in Oklahoma, and there's a local office of something called We
the People, which as I understand it is a national franchise
offering certain services without using a lawyer.
I dropped by there, and they would prepare a simple will, durable
power of attorney, advance health care directive and medical proxy,
all for $199.
My situation is extremely simple - single, no children, with
everything going to my brother, who would also be the executor (he
lives in Texas, if that matters).
I'll be checking with some local law firms, but I suspect I won't be
able to get them to even say hello for less than $500, and probably
a good bit more, even though this would be pure boiler-plate stuff.
Does anybody here have any experience with We the People? Does it
sound like a reasonable way to go? Any other low-cost alternative.
Actually, I've even thought about doing it all myself, and even
saving the $199. :-)
If you are single, no children, you can purchase a software program for
about $30 maximum to prepare most of the legal documents you need. I think
you probably just need a will and living will. You will need to get the
documents notarized, which can usually be done at a bank for about $5 or
credit union (usually free for members).
There are also sites on the internet that provide these documents for a
nominal charge, and in some cases for free (for very simple situations).
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"George" wrote in misc.legal.moderated:
I dropped by there, and they would prepare a simple will, durable
power of attorney, advance health care directive and medical proxy,
all for $199.
That strikes me as rather high, though I could be wrong.(*)
My situation is extremely simple - single, no children, with
everything going to my brother, who would also be the executor (he
lives in Texas, if that matters).
You could almost write a one-sentence will.
I'll be checking with some local law firms, but I suspect I won't be
able to get them to even say hello for less than $500, and probably
a good bit more, even though this would be pure boiler-plate stuff.
If you talk to one of the big firms, perhaps. But why do that? Call
around to single-lawyer offices and ask how much for a will where
your brother gets everything. A few years ago, I paid $20 for mine
because the attorney, a former judge, was trying to build up a
business and offered cheap wills as a loss leader. And my situation
was not quite as simple as yours.
(*)You don't need an attorney for the other documents, AFAIK. In
fact, you may be better off using standard forms that should be
available from your doctor and the local hospital -- they're less
likely to be questioned when needed. So in effect they're quoting
you $199 for a very simple will plus doing some other stuff you
could easily do yourself. (You could probably do the will yourself,
if you follow a good guide like /Nolo's Simple Will Book/. But if
you call around and find an attorney willing to do it for a low
price, you'll save yourself time and know for sure hat you hven't
done anything wrong.)
--
If you e-mail me from a fake address, your fingers will drop off.
I am not a lawyer; this is not legal advice. When you read anything
legal on the net, always verify it on your own, in light of your
particular circumstances. You may also need to consult a lawyer.
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
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G> Any other low-cost alternative. Actually, I've even thought about doing
G> it all myself, and even saving the $199. :-)
http://www.createmywill.com - review N offers, and get the package of simple
will and living will forms, with guides and samples. I'm sure there are many
other sites, as well as packaged software, as well as books in any public
library.
Regards
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