10 Unexpected Dangers of Creating Your Will Online

Online will builders promise a quick and affordable way to create essential inheritance documents. These services are often marketed as the perfect solution to lower your financial stress, however, these one-size-fits-all services can sometimes leave users vulnerable to significant issues down the road.

While DIY platforms might work for some, many other families may require a more nuanced approach. From outdated forms to missing key provisions, the hidden pitfalls of online will builders can leave your loved ones with a financial and emotional mess.

Here are some of the most common dangers to watch out for.

State laws change frequently, and keeping up with those updates is critical. Unfortunately, some online will services fail to provide current forms that comply with most up-to-date state-specific legal requirements.

For example, if you're using a service where probate and estate laws are updated annually, your will could become invalid within a year of creating it. And, without an attorney to provide guidance, your documents may not hold up in probate court.

Online will builders are convenient, but they don't provide expert attorney guidance. These platforms aren't typically set up in a way to help you with structuring assets, minimizing taxes, or navigating the complex inheritance laws for your specific situation, which can leave you with generic documents that often fall short.

One-size-fits-all templates are created to cater to everyone, but by design, they aren't created to address unique dynamics. For example, these forms don't usually allow for customization or special circumstances, such as protecting assets for children with disabilities or addressing blended family structures.

What's more, DIY wills can create legal headaches when provisions don't account for nuances like divorce, bankruptcy, or inheritance disputes.

Speaking of blended family structures: Families come in all forms, and online will builders aren't equipped to handle more unusual relationships. For example, those blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, or heirs with unique financial arrangements often require tailored solutions that go beyond the basic templates.

Without legal advice, these complexities may be overlooked, leading to disputes, unequal distribution of assets, or other unintended consequences. Properly addressing these dynamics often requires the expertise of an estate planning attorney.

Proper estate planning isn't just about listing who gets what — it's also about minimizing taxes, avoiding probate, and ensuring that assets are distributed efficiently. Online will builders rarely provide guidance on these critical aspects.

For instance, laws like the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 — also known as the SECURE Act — have reshaped retirement account distributions, and failing to plan accordingly could leave heirs with unnecessary tax burdens.

Estate planning attorneys provide the expertise needed to navigate these complexities and protect your financial legacy.

Online will builders may seem budget-friendly, but the savings often come at a high cost for your family. Unlike estate planning attorneys, these services don't provide tailored advice, state-specific expertise, or updates to keep your will legally compliant.

For example, an oversight in the creation of your DIY will — like forgetting to name the representative of your estate who has the authority to sell real estate on your behalf — can lead to a lengthy (and expensive) battle in probate court that can not only cost your heirs thousands of dollars, but they can also lower the value of your estate if too much time passes and the market turns.

If you're looking into an online will builder due to your age or changing circumstances — like entering a nursing home or long-term care facility — you may be especially prone to the dangers of online will building services. That's because you'll likely need an attorney that is specifically trained in your type of situation to help walk you through the process and potential pitfalls.

For example, Medicare may place a lien on your property when you enter into a nursing home. Without an attorney to walk you and your heirs through the process, it's entirely possible that you may not realize that you need to apply for exceptions to transfer the property to another family member, which could cause your heirs to lose the property.

Similarly, if you're leaving your assets to someone who qualifies for government disability payments, you'll need to know exactly how to set up their inheritance so that the sudden windfall doesn't cause them to lose their monthly support.

The terms and conditions of online will services often reveal their biggest flaws. These companies make no guarantees that their documents will work as intended, and they acknowledge that the forms may be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate.

Additionally, these companies reserve the right to stop providing services or features without notice. Even more concerning, they can delete, change, or transfer your data, account history, and content at any time without explanation.

This lack of reliability and transparency can leave users vulnerable, with critical information erased or inaccessible when it's needed most.

Using an online will builder requires sharing sensitive personal and financial information. If the service lacks strong security measures, this data could be at risk of theft or misuse.

Robust data protection protocols are critical for any platform handling such private information. Unfortunately, not all online will builders meet these standards, leaving users vulnerable to potential breaches.

If you think you can ask an attorney to review or validate your DIY will after the fact, think again. Most attorneys are reluctant to "bless" documents they didn't create, as doing so could put their reputation — and legal license — on the line.

Instead, most attorneys will only "sign off" on your will if you start fresh with a properly drafted will, which results in extra work and more money. This ensures that your assets are protected and your loved ones avoid unnecessary legal challenges.

While there may be some circumstances when an online will builder will work in a pinch — like if you don't have many assets to speak of and your situation is less complicated than most — you may be able to get away with using the DIY approach. That being said, we have a hunch that most attorneys will still advise against it.

Online will builders may be tempting, but they come with significant risks. From outdated forms to a lack of legal guidance, these services often fail to meet the needs of most families.

To truly protect your loved ones, it's worth investing in a comprehensive estate plan created by a professional. While it may cost more upfront, it can help you to build your wealth now while likely lowering emotional burdens later. Careful planning today can help you secure a better tomorrow.