With the availability of forms and online services, many people believe they can create an estate plan without a lawyer's help. While the self-help, DIY approach may work for certain tasks, estate planning is not one of them. Creating an estate plan without professional assistance is a significant mistake with serious risks.

Here are some reasons why:

• Inappropriate for Your Circumstances: A DIY estate plan may not fit your unique needs.
• Unclear Objectives: It may not achieve what you intend.
• Incomplete Plans: It may be incomplete.
• Legal Invalidity: It might not even be valid in California.

Mistakes in a DIY estate plan often go unnoticed until it’s too late to fix them, potentially resulting in costly and devastating consequences for you and your loved ones.  Most people would agree that it is unwise to shop around for the cheapest medical care. A DIY estate plan can be equally as disastrous.