The grieving children came in with a “Trust” done with forms from a person who gives financial advice on TV. This “Trust” wasn’t a Trust but a Will with a cover page that said it was a Trust.
HUH? Yes, it really was that confusing.
Was it valid? Sort of. It was signed and witnessed, yet it failed to state who got the property at death. Fortunately, the “intestate succession” is the same as what the parents probably wanted, dividing equally to the two children.
The cost of Probate will be well over $23,000 as the home is worth well over a million, and there is cash too. The parents paid $100 for the “kit”, and now their kids will pay well over $23,000 in Probate.
I will be there to walk them through all the steps to get through the Court. They are bummed and really frustrated as they watch this TV personality tell people she has documents good in every state and that they don’t need to spend the money on a lawyer.
“Do-it-yourself” legal documents may look good, but you don’t know until it’s too late that you did it wrong.
