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From: jimb@athertn.Atherton.COM (Jim Burke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: "WillMaker" software
Message-ID: <5919@athertn.Atherton.COM>
Date: 30 Jun 89 20:47:02 GMT
References: <7705@cbnews.ATT.COM> <1989Jun29.225030.1344@lsuc.on.ca>
Reply-To: jimb@athertn.UUCP (Jim Burke)
Organization: Atherton Technology, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 32

In article <1989Jun29.225030.1344@lsuc.on.ca> dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman) writes:
>
>Use a lawyer.
>
>There are too many variables involved in making a will.
>Sure, you can get it to give you wording to leave your piano
>to your niece and the rest of your estate to your brother.
>But will it pick up on the implications of your particular
>fact situation, that suggest you need more careful tax planning,
>or some unusual adjustment to your estate plan? 

This is the standard advice given by the bar association and its members.
It assumes that all non-lawyers are not capable of understanding their
own affairs.  I beg to differ.  What I will concede is that, if you have a
large estate or a very complex personal financial structure, you should
seek advise.  Also, if you try to educate yourself on wills and estate
planning and still cannot understand it, seek advise.  However, a large
percentage of intelligent people are perfectly capable of writting their
own will.  The majority of people leave an estate of a house, car, personal
effects, and a modest bank account.  These properties can be disposed of
fairly simply in your will.  Trusts and the like get more complicated.  
If you know your situation to be fairly simple and understand the basics,
I believe you are fairly safe.  In any event, a will disposing of 
$20,000 in property does not have to be as iron-clad as a will disposing
of $20,000,000.  And in the case of ambiguities, probate courts rule in
the direction of what the testator appears to have intended.


-- 
Jim Burke        (408) 734-9822 (temp)  | I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin'
jimb@Atherton.COM                       | no babies, Miss Scarlet!
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