The first questions many lawyers will hear from a client is "what's the difference between you doing this, and me doing this?"
The obvious go-to is that it will cost you less money. But will it really? An improperly written estate plan may land those who stand to inherit in probate court for a long time. An omission in a business agreement may mean that a company's owners spend years in court fighting over ownership portions and profit distributions. Of course, this may not be the case, and everything can turn out ok in the absence of a spark of conflict or disagreement. However, if things do go wrong, and your documents aren't up to snuff, money saved up front may turn into an exponentially larger cost later on down the line.
Over the course of our lives, we run into many documents. Rental agreements, car loans, and business agreements being maybe the most common. We gather experience in understanding what these documents mean. We trust that the dealer handling our car loan and the lender handling our mortgage know the documents they are having us sign well enough to understand and explain them. Often we rely on "oh, it's just the usual loan stuff in there." But what do we do when we step outside of those familiar situation and find ourselves with no guidance on what documents we need or what we have to include in them.
The modern world has allowed us access to close to the sum of all of human knowledge through a few devices which we are never far from - the smartphone, the computer, and the internet that brings them together. You can find a document that someone has drafted for almost any situation online. But that's where you might hit a small roadblock. Is this the correct document for your city, your state, even your country? Is any part of it contradicted by law? To what extent will it actually protect you? Finally and simply, does it say what you want it to say.
This is where an attorney can be very helpful. Whether you are bringing in a document you found or prepared in advance or having a brand spanking new one custom drafted for you, an attorney will help guide you to make sure that your true intent is reflected in the document in your hands by the time you leave their office. An attorney will have spent a significant amount of time learning not only general legal principles, but the way things function where you live. They will be able to help tailor the language in your document to make sure that it expresses everything you need it to contain effectively and in an easy to understand manner. They will ensure that the document contains every element necessary by law, and that it protects your interests, and does not expose you to unnecessary liability.
In essence, an attorney will customize the document or other legal help you need to the exact specifics of your case. A one-size-fits-all solution may be the right way to go in some cases. However, visiting an attorney's office to find out whether this is the case, or if there are some additional considerations that you should take into account. Then, fully armed with the knowledge of how well your documents say what you need them to say, you can make the informed decision to hire an attorney, or strike out on your own.
The obvious go-to is that it will cost you less money. But will it really? An improperly written estate plan may land those who stand to inherit in probate court for a long time. An omission in a business agreement may mean that a company's owners spend years in court fighting over ownership portions and profit distributions. Of course, this may not be the case, and everything can turn out ok in the absence of a spark of conflict or disagreement. However, if things do go wrong, and your documents aren't up to snuff, money saved up front may turn into an exponentially larger cost later on down the line.
Over the course of our lives, we run into many documents. Rental agreements, car loans, and business agreements being maybe the most common. We gather experience in understanding what these documents mean. We trust that the dealer handling our car loan and the lender handling our mortgage know the documents they are having us sign well enough to understand and explain them. Often we rely on "oh, it's just the usual loan stuff in there." But what do we do when we step outside of those familiar situation and find ourselves with no guidance on what documents we need or what we have to include in them.
The modern world has allowed us access to close to the sum of all of human knowledge through a few devices which we are never far from - the smartphone, the computer, and the internet that brings them together. You can find a document that someone has drafted for almost any situation online. But that's where you might hit a small roadblock. Is this the correct document for your city, your state, even your country? Is any part of it contradicted by law? To what extent will it actually protect you? Finally and simply, does it say what you want it to say.
This is where an attorney can be very helpful. Whether you are bringing in a document you found or prepared in advance or having a brand spanking new one custom drafted for you, an attorney will help guide you to make sure that your true intent is reflected in the document in your hands by the time you leave their office. An attorney will have spent a significant amount of time learning not only general legal principles, but the way things function where you live. They will be able to help tailor the language in your document to make sure that it expresses everything you need it to contain effectively and in an easy to understand manner. They will ensure that the document contains every element necessary by law, and that it protects your interests, and does not expose you to unnecessary liability.
In essence, an attorney will customize the document or other legal help you need to the exact specifics of your case. A one-size-fits-all solution may be the right way to go in some cases. However, visiting an attorney's office to find out whether this is the case, or if there are some additional considerations that you should take into account. Then, fully armed with the knowledge of how well your documents say what you need them to say, you can make the informed decision to hire an attorney, or strike out on your own.
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