DIY Will Cost: What You’ll Really Pay (4 Methods)

Writing a Will yourself might seem like a way to save money, but it could cause problems for your family when it’s time to settle your estate. If your Will doesn’t work, your wishes might not be carried out the way you intended.

Your family could also be forced to deal with additional legal fees, waiting, and emotional hardship. Let’s look at the potential costs of writing your own Will, and why you should have a lawyer draft your estate planning documents.

Hidden costs of making your own Will

The main issue with writing your own Will is that you likely won’t recognize any problems or mistakes. You’ll never know there’s an issue, and your family might not find out until they’re trying to settle the estate.

When it comes to legal issues, you often don’t know where the gaps in your knowledge are. No matter how much research you do or how good you are with words, mistakes can happen.

If your Will has serious errors and a court finds it to be invalid, your estate will be distributed according to the state’s default rules. This means that your estate might not be carried out the way you want.

People who have a legitimate interest in your estate can potentially challenge your Will. This might happen if your Will is unclear or surprising to your family, or if there’s a conflict between beneficiaries. We all want to leave loving legacies, but conflict over Wills can happen for various reasons. Clear, valid instructions are a gift to your family.

A court battle over your Will would be expensive, time-consuming, and painful.

When to get legal help with your Will

Wills can be versatile estate planning tools that set out your wishes in detail, but they must be precise.

Getting a lawyer to help with your Will is usually worth the cost, but you might be surprised by how affordable legal help can be. A LegalShield® Membership is a monthly subscription that includes Will preparation by a lawyer. A provider lawyer can help you decide what to include in your Will and then draft the document to match your wishes.

Along with your Will, your plan includes other estate planning services like the preparation of a Durable Power of Attorney and Living Will. Some plans include an annual revision.

Be sure to see our estate planning guide to learn more about your options.

Types of DIY Wills and their issues

DIY Wills can be valid if they’re done right, and people do choose them. But before you decide to go it alone, it’s important to understand the risks.

A handwritten Will

Writing your own Will doesn’t cost any money, but the time investment can be significant, and the risk of it being challenged later is higher.

A handwritten Will is also called a “holographic Will”. If your estate is very simple, this could work for you, but it’s one of the riskiest methods. Not all states recognize holographic Wills. Legibility can also be an issue: Handwriting is easier to misread than typing, and it can contain mistakes.

A printable DIY Will template

Some legal aid organizations and some state courts provide template documents you can download for free. While forms available from your state government might be more accurate than non-state-specific forms, the internet has many forms that come from less legitimate sources. They may contain terms that are not compliant with state law.

It’s more structured than a handwritten Will and if it comes with good instructions, a template can help you avoid common mistakes.
These kits can still be risky. Using a template means relying on documents that could be out of date. If you want to make sure the Will is problem-free, you’ll have to hire a lawyer to review it.

A basic online service

You can often get basic Wills using an online service. These might include templates, instructions, or questionnaires that have you enter your information and preferences. At the end of the process, you have a Will you can use. They vary in cost from $100 to $300, and also in the amount of support they provide.

LegalShield can help you stress less about DIY Will costs

‍
Having a Will is an important milestone in your life, but you may have concerns about the expense of Will preparation. There are ways to save money, but they usually don’t involve a lawyer.

LegalShield Memberships are the best of both worlds. With your subscription, you can continue to receive ongoing support after your Will is drafted, like having your questions answered about estate accounts or living Wills.

Our legal plans are affordable, and you can choose from multiple options. Reach out to learn how a LegalShield Membership can help with your Will.

Your plan bundles estate planning with legal assistance for other difficult moments in your life, like traffic tickets, employment issues, and financial disputes. You get ongoing help when you need it.