I used a Paralegal, she did a great job and it was less the $50 (they charge their own fees)

We also live in Ontario (Toronto). Several years ago we prepared our own wills using a will kit, but this was before the POAs became the thing and before we started doing our best to protect our dogs. Much will depend on how simple your wills are - if you are leaving everything to each other - no children, charities - PETS - etc. then your wills will be classified as "simple" and the rate will be lower for each, if prepared by a lawyer - or much easier to do if you buy a Will/POA kit (we did not do POAs on our own). As soon as you add anything the price starts to move up. We have a dog and in case we are run over by a bus we wanted to provide for him to the extent that the law allows (zip really) - so we very carefully selected 2 different people who could not be challenged and had them listed as Options 1 and 2 - and left them $X of insurance money. But since pets are chattels the beneficiaries could take the money and not our dog - so we had to be very careful - therefore we had a lawyer in a small firm prepare our wills. We also had the POAs prepared in 2004 -both financial and health - many people did this at the time due to the Terri Schiavo situation. Actually, the POAs cost us more than the Wills - no doubt due at the time to everyone wanting one done. One of the benefits of having our current wills (and later a codical added) prepared by a lawyer was that she and her fellow staff member witnessed our wills - instead of having to find 2 non-beneficiaries to witness for us. We have put the originals of everything in the safety deposit box and my husband has notarized copies at the office - and the dog boarder knows who to contact should something happen to us and how our Executor (known to dog boarder) could gain access to the necessary documents/keys. Should one of us die, the other would be the Executor - it is if we die together that we needed an alternate. So, yes, you could do it yourself, but if it becomes even a bit complicated, I would find a small practice lawyer to prepare the documents for you. If you call a few small firms they will tell you the price - just remember they will quote you the price of a "simple" will. Frankly, I am happier with the lawyer prepared documents than the ones we prepared ourselves - at this point - in our 60s.

Nope! It's important enough, to me, to hire a good attorney, so all the 'i's are dotted and the 't's are crossed correctly, according to the law.

A good attorney will ask questions that you didn't ever consider, things that you should take into account. But be sure you use an attorney who specializes in trusts, wills and estates.

You will need to make sure that what you do fulfills the laws in your locale--they can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

When my aunt was in the assisted living facility, and I wanted to redo her POA (her original was old, and wasn't notarized), I did speak with my attorney about it. He told me to just pick up the printed POA at Staples. We used that, had it notarized--and it was fine for all the business I had to transact for her. Didn't have a single problem using it.

I'm in the states, you're in Canada--if the laws are the same, you need to keep in mind that a POA is only good while the other person is alive. It dies the second they do, and you can no longer use it to conduct business for them. I've known some people who ignored that fact and got themselves into big trouble because of it.

Count me in the "use an attorney" group.

Suze Orman offered needed documents in memory of all those who died unprepared on 9/11 and their families.

Answer questions to determine your specific documents needed. You can fill them out then have them notarized or take to a lawyer to look it over. Each document is really explained, so even if you don't want to use this, I'd say its very useful...and gives you a chance to think things over at home.

I'm working on mine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Must Have Documents

Sorry, I hit the wrong submit.

You can get them at the above link by using the gift code "CNBC". Sandy

I'm in the minority here--I don't see the need for attorneys in the case of simple wills or POAs. There are so many free formats available on the internet, and you can usually find everything you need to know about the requirements in your particular area. Of course, if it is complicated, or if you believe it might be contested, then you definitely should see an attorney!!

When we realized that dementia was taking over our mother's mind, my brother and I went to an estate attorney with our parents to be sure that we would be able to care for Mom in the event that Dad passed first. We had already prepared wills, POAs, and Advanced Medical Directives for both parents. We had copies of all important documents in a binder (birth certificates, marriage certificate, military documents, house and car titles, insurance, etc.). I had prepared all documents in WordPerfect and gave the .wpd files to the attorney. He made a few editorial changes--nothing of significance and had his secretary print out new documents. The only other thing he did was prepare a document to transfer the house into my father's name only, to protect him in the event Mom had to be institutionalized (thankfully, she left us before that happened). He charged us just over $1,200, which we thought was extremely high for the services rendered.

I have typed simple wills over the years for a number of family members and friends. Two of the wills were challenged in court (due to dis-inheriting a child)--and both wills held up. I think attorneys use scare tactics to make us think that the courts will scrutinize the documents to find an "i" that hasn't been dotted. I believe that courts simply want to determine the intent of the testator.

Here's a website which I found very helpful--but it is for the U.S. You might find a parallel site for Canada. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Public Legal Forms

We had an attorney do ours, too. For each of us he did:

Will
Living will
Power of Attorney (for medical decisions only)

The cost was over $400 but that was for six documents. We have multiple copies and the originals is in his office. The girls know where everything is should we both go at the same time.

I know you can download forms online and I don't know why they wouldn't be as legal unless someone decided to contest it. Then the fact that a lawyer did it may deter some from contesting.

I would not do it yourself any legal documents. The one exception is a Healthy Care Proxy. I'm speaking of US/ specifically New York State Laws. A Health Care Proxy names a person (and backup) to make medical decisions should you become unable. My husband and I prepared HCPs on our own, naming each other and then our daughters to carry out our final wishes. Keep me alive if the doctor says there's a chance I'll come out of the coma but let me go if I'm brain-dead. Because I'm on kidney dialysis, we attended a seminar at my dialysis hospital and were given blank HCP forms.

Just a little warning, whether you do your own or have an attorney....Make sure the wording is what you want....

Years ago, my sister had one made up by an attorney but after my mother saw it, she wouldn't sign because it didn't have my name on it, just my sisters....So, my sister had another one written and in the wording, she had my name with her's but instead of having AND, the attorney put OR and in doing that, my name neant nothing...Of course my mother saw my name and she inturn signed it....Doing that, my sister was able to have all of Mom's finances transferred to her along with deeds etc. and I could do nothing.....

That was years ago, my Mom has passed and it did take me awhile to forgive my sister...I always remember my Mom saying, you know, what goes around......And I think of Mom every time something happens with my sister or her family, which is sad......

Hi: Thank you all for your helpful suggestions.

My sister and I got the forms from Nolo (don't know if they are still in business) and helped our mother do her will and living trust. We worked on it as a family project. We had no problems when she passed away, and also there were no problems between my sister and I because we agreed on everything, but we did take it all to an attorney to double-check everything after she died and get a tax ID number. He wasn't too thrilled with what we did, but it worked. Definitely not for everyone.

Take it from one who learned the hard way..absolutely do not trust any off the shelf Power of Attorney or Will, whether you get it in a RediForm package at a stationary store or offline.

Nearly every state and sometimes local jurisdictions within a state all have their own format, language & requirements for what constitutes a bona fide will.

When my grand dad died we all knew he had made a will and filed it with the local probate court, so we thought things would go smooth, yea,,right!

First off, he had made the will using an off the shelf "will kit" that was available through the local newspaper publisher however on that form he only had to put his Last Name, First Name & Middle Initial, but the court required the full middle name. The court approved form also required the full first last and middle names of both of his parents, neither of which were listed on Grandads will.

Grandads form listed the complete address where he was residing when he made out the will, but it did not list where he was born, another no no.

Grandad had 12 children and all but one had left the farm and took up trades or businesses of their own. The one remaining son, Charley, stayed on and worked the farm with Grandad and it was assumed by all the children that when Grandad passed the farm would go to Charley.

Well, sure enough, when they read the will it said Charley was to inherit the farm with title to all lands & chattel and the remaining children were to receive a cash payment of $1,000 within one year of grandads demise. Wrong-- The will said "All remaining children", but the state said that all the children had to be named individually.

Per the instructions in the will kit, Grandad had the document certified by Notary Public, but the court said it had to be a court recognized "Notary Public" at the courthouse.

The will form had provision for one person to sign as a witness in addition to the Notary Publics signature & Seal, but the court requires two witnesses who have to testify that they have personal recognition of the individual named in the will plus the notaries signature and stamp.

As a consequence, it took over 4 years and numerous trips to court to finally settle the estate.

At the final settlement hearing all the children had to be present in the court, and they all had to swear an oath that they would accept the terms of the will as originally specified by Grandad. (Keep in mind that while this was happening in N.E. Ohio two of the children lived in Michigan, one in Florida and one in Texas.)

Now comes the clincher, When Grandad bought the farm in the early 1920's he not only got land & water rights, but his original land deed also included game & mineral rights.

About three years before Grandad died they had drilled a natural gas well on the farm, but shortly after drilling the well it was capped off and basically forgotten, except of course for the unlimited supply of natural gas for the house, barn and outbuildings on the farm, including 12 gas pole lights along the lane and in the barn yard.

Now here it is 30 years later and the Gas Company wants to tie into that well, but the mineral rights were not listed in Grandads will so they have been back and forth to court another dozen or so times trying to figure out who actually owns the mineral rights?

Take my word for it, you can probably save a few bucks getting a will kit from a stationary store or offline, but in the end, using an attorney will prove to be the cheapests and easiest method.

I strongly suggest using an attorney. And if you are over 50 - make it an attorney who specializes in elder care.

I have a long saga that describes how a single nutso heir can cause a lot of trouble.
Thankfully, Will and POAs were written by an elder care lawyer, who defended all attacks.