Why You Shouldn’t DIY Your Estate Plan (Even if It Looks Easy Online)

In an era where you can buy a couch, renew your passport, and diagnose yourself with alarming accuracy—all online—it’s no surprise that estate planning platforms like LegalZoom have gained traction. And listen, I get it. The promise of convenience and cost savings is appealing. Fill out a few forms, click submit, and boom—peace of mind, right?

Except… not really.

Because while these platforms are fine for downloading general templates, they simply can’t replace what a qualified estate planning attorney brings to the table. Especially if your life is, well, not perfectly cookie-cutter. And whose is?

Why It’s a Risk to Rely on Online Estate Planning Platforms

1. Your Life Isn’t Generic—Your Documents Shouldn’t Be Either

Online platforms can’t ask follow-up questions. They won’t flag a red flag. They don’t know your financial picture, your family dynamics, or the drama brewing between your adult kids and your second spouse. If your life involves a blended family, special needs child, small business, multiple properties, strained relationships, or even just feelings about who gets what—those fill-in-the-blank documents are not going to cut it.

An attorney will ask what actually matters to you, and then create documents that hold up under stress, scrutiny, and state law.

2. State Law Is Not “One Size Fits All”

Every state has its own rules for how wills and trusts must be executed. In Nebraska, for instance, improperly witnessed or notarized documents could get thrown out. Online platforms don’t walk you through execution—they hand you a form and wish you luck.

Estate planning attorneys ensure that everything is signed, witnessed, and notarized exactly as your state requires, minimizing the risk that your wishes get tossed because of a technicality.

3. Mistakes Can Be Expensive (And Sometimes Irreversible)

Online estate plans can leave out key clauses, misalign asset ownership, or fail to properly name alternate beneficiaries. These aren’t just oversights—they’re mistakes that could cost your heirs thousands in probate or litigation.

An attorney knows how to build in protections for the “what-ifs”: what if your primary beneficiary dies before you? What if your child divorces and their inheritance gets pulled into the mess? What if you become incapacitated without naming a power of attorney? You won’t catch those details without guidance.

4. You Don’t Just Need Documents—You Need a Strategy

Do you need a will or a trust? Do you know how to retitle your assets to avoid probate? Should your IRA pass through a trust? These aren’t things an online platform is going to unpack for you.

Attorneys don’t just hand you a plan—they help you make the right decisions about that plan. They can minimize taxes, avoid probate, and structure everything to meet your specific goals.

Reasons to Use an Attorney Instead of an Online Platform

Personalized Legal Advice and Customization

An attorney asks real, uncomfortable, and important questions about your assets, relationships, and values. This isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s built for your exact circumstances. If your life includes business ownership, minor children, a trust fund baby, or a family cabin in three names, you need nuance.

Minimizing Errors and Legal Risks

An attorney ensures your documents comply with Nebraska law and that they’ll actually work. The last thing your family needs is to find out your will is invalid because you missed a witness signature.

Comprehensive Planning and Asset Structuring

You might think you just need a will. But what if a revocable living trust, powers of attorney, or healthcare directives would better serve your needs? That’s what an attorney helps determine—then builds everything to fit.

Handling Complex Family or Financial Situations

Tough dynamics? Anticipated drama? Estranged relatives you’re not leaving anything to? An attorney will help draft language that stands up in court. If you have high-value assets or own property in multiple states, this is non-negotiable.

Ensuring Valid Execution and Witnessing

Proper execution is more than just signing. Who needs to witness? When does it need to be notarized? What counts in Nebraska? An attorney makes sure it’s airtight.

Ongoing Support and Updates

Life changes. So should your estate plan. An attorney will check in over time and help update your plan when you get married, divorced, buy a home, or start caring for an aging parent. Online platforms don’t call you back.

Legal Representation and Support for Heirs

When you’re gone, your family may need support interpreting the documents or managing the estate. With an attorney, your heirs have someone to call who actually knows what you intended.

Protection Against Challenges

A professionally-prepared plan has a much lower risk of being contested in probate. If it is, your attorney can attest to your capacity and the document’s validity.

Expertise in Tax and Trust Law

Attorneys can guide you through advanced planning for minimizing estate and inheritance taxes, especially for larger estates or complex assets like family farms, LLCs, or investment portfolios.

Bottom Line: Don’t Gamble with Your Legacy

If your goal is to truly protect your loved ones, minimize stress, and ensure your wishes are respected—you need more than a form. You need guidance. You need clarity. You need someone who will sit across from you, understand your life, and create a plan that actually works.

And that’s what attorneys do. Contact me at 402-259-0059 or zach@zandersonlaw.com and let me help sure you build your legacy specific to you.