When it comes to drafting your will, there are many options in Indiana. Online options alone are vast and provide you with many choices to do it yourself without legal assistance. While this may seem tempting, it may not be in your best interest to write your own will.
In fact, the American Bar Association explains there are quite a few pitfalls that come with creating your own will. These issues can lead to even bigger trouble once you die and leave your heirs with a will that is difficult or impossible to enforce.
The pitfalls of DIY
There are many missteps you can make when trying to write your own will. Even a seemingly small mistake could lead to headaches for those you leave behind after you leave this world.
Complicated situations will dictate the need to seek help. For example, if you have minor children, you must make sure you legally set up a guardian for them. If you have a large estate, you will need to minimize the chances of people contesting your will, which will hold up your assets in court before your heirs can get them.
The one time it may be okay
It is usually only a good idea to write your own will without any professional assistance if you have a straightforward estate. This means limited assets, no minor children, no shared or joint property or accounts, and you will leave everything to your closest relative. If so, you may be fine doing it on your own. In this situation, if you made a mistake, the state would step in and all your assets would go to your closest relative anyway.
An attorney can assist you with making decisions and explain certain aspects of the law to you in a way you can easily understand. If you want something specific to happen, your attorney can help make that a reality. Above all, having an attorney help you gives you peace of mind that everything will go smoothly and according to your wishes once you pass away and your heirs will not end up with a headache on their hands.