Living Trust - Use Attorney vs DIY
I recently met with an estate planning attorney and talked about setting up a living trust and a will. The attorney would obviously help guide us through the process and help us change the title of our 5 properties into the trust and provide ongoing support in the future, etc... She told us the cost would be about $4000. I don't mind paying that much if this is what will make things easy for my family after I'm gone, however...
I have also read some things online about being able to setup a trust with some basic software and self-education for less than a couple hundred dollars. And then, presumably, the other main cost would just be recording fees to transfer titles into the trust.
Is DIYing a foolish idea and if so, why?
Is the attorney option worth $4000, or does that seem high?
(I'm 30 and married, in case that's relevant. So hopefully we have a long time to plan, but would love to sort all of this out sooner rather than later.)
Most Popular Reply
Use an attorney. I say that not because I am one, but because I am going through the other side of this process now and I understand the value of their experience and advice. For context, I handle business formations and transactions and buying and selling businesses all day ... but as I navigate this process, I am using a great estates attorney for these legal issues. When you engage the lawyer, ask questions, review the documents, then ask questions again. Dig into the "how" of each step: How does the trust operate; How will the money go in and out of the trust when it is time to use them; etc. The fees you are paying a lawyer should always include an education about how the documents work for you and what needs to happen when they are needed.