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legal services
by Pat Shriver
Online services might
do for some basics,
but beware for others
The Internet has radically changed
all types of businesses, and the legal
services industry has not been immune to
this change.
There are various well-established
online services such as legalzoom.com,
rocketlawyer.com, and nolo.com that will
help you with a number of basic legal
needs, including forming a new business entity, registering trademarks, and
putting together simple wills and other
estate planning documents.
These services are inevitably priced
lower than similar services provided by
most practicing attorneys, and this price
competitiveness is a large part of what
drives popularity.
A common question is whether people
are as well protected as they should be
when using these types of services versus
using an attorney. The answer, of course,
tips
8
1
Forming a
single-owner
business entity or
applying to register a fairly basic
trademark may be
something clients
could and should
do on their own or
with the assistance
and federal tax laws permits an estate
planning attorney to take advantage of
various provisions to protect your heirs
Routine vs. complex
from having their inheritance reduced by
There are a number of legal issues
that some people consider "routine." For paying taxes.
Also, there are other issues that are
example, drafting a simple will is something that, strictly speaking, can be done relevant to most people that are not
without the assistance of an attorney, and addressed by a simple will, such as
in some cases, these types of wills may be guardianship for minor children, powers
of attorney, durable powers of attorney
perfectly acceptable.
(which are different from regular powers
If all you need is to have a document
of attorney and survive the incapacitathat describes how your assets are to be
distributed amongst your heirs, a simple tion of an individual), and health care
directives.
will should do the trick, and it is very
Another area where people commonly
likely that an online legal service will
use online legal services is to create their
produce a will that meets the minimum
state standards to make the will enforce- business entity. Several services will
help you create your new corporation
able and binding on your heirs.
However, drafting a simple will is only or limited liability company for much
less than a law firm would. For simple
the tip of the iceberg when it comes
types of business entities, especially
to estate planning. Knowledge of state
is "it depends." Let me explain.
of a legal services
company.
2
However, more
complex services
will obviously require the assistance
of counsel.
upsize december 2013 • january 2014
3 already
If you
know what type of
business entity you
need or how you want
your assets passed
on to your heirs (and
understand the tax
ramifications of your
plan), you may only
need the assistance of
a service company.
4 if you are
But
looking for the ability to discuss your
legal needs and
receive personalized
advice, you're likely
better served by hiring an attorney.
www.upsizemag.com
