One of the biggest issues with any do-it-yourself legal document is making sure the wording reflects clearly what you want. When the document goes through the probate process, there should be no doubt as to who will inherit your assets and who will be the executor of your estate.

“Make sure you’re using the right form (for your situation) and answering the right questions,” says Harry S. Margolis, founder of Elderlaw Answers and an attorney specializing in elder law in Boston.

Online will sites don’t work for everyone and every situation. The best candidates for using them are those individuals with the simplest cases.

“A married or unmarried individual with an insignificant level of assets (that is, below the threshold before federal and/or state taxes kick in), who knows where his or her assets will go, knows there will be no conflict among the beneficiaries and who has a clear choice of executor will probably get a rather satisfactory online will,” says Jeffrey A. Asher, a partner in Eaton & Van Winkle LLP in New York.

Although a majority of the population can benefit from an online will, there are certain situations that warrant an attorney’s expertise. Anyone with complicated affairs or substantial assets should seek the help of an attorney and not attempt to write a will online.

When NOT to write an online will:

• You or your spouse are citizens of another country.
• You have significant assets.
• You are married with minor children.
• You’re in a gay relationship.
• You’re raising grandchildren or stepchildren.
• You have a disabled, dependent adult child.
• You’ve been married more than once.
• You anticipate your will might be contested.
• You own a small business.
• The online form doesn’t address your specific circumstances.

New option includes legal advice

People who reside in certain states and want to create a will online now have another option besides the impersonal online forms. Some sites offer the ease of the online will coupled with advice from an attorney on how to fill it out.

“Lawyers are late in coming to this game,” says Richard Granat, co-chairman of the eLawyering Task Force of the American Bar Association, a group of lawyers helping other lawyers figure out ways to deliver online legal services, including the writing of wills. “But recently some law firms have emerged with online wills bundled with a lawyer’s recommendations. You can e-mail any questions you have to an attorney.”

These sites are all state specific because the attorneys who offer the service can only offer legal services to residents of the state(s) where they are a member of the bar.

According to Granat, the prices for this option are relatively reasonable — sometimes as little as $30 more than the basic online will — and if it’s available to you, this is your best choice.

“Soon we will have one of these law firms in every state, and they will be marketed under the DirectLaw brand as a network of law firms offering legal forms bundled with legal advice for a fixed price,” says Granat. DirectLaw.com of Owings Mills, Md., assists law firms that want to deliver online legal services via an Internet platform.

Advantages of online wills

Cost is a big factor where wills are concerned. Online will sites typically charge in the range of $19.95 to $225. By hiring a lawyer, you might be able to secure a finished document for $500, but usually it will cost more, and the price goes up exponentially depending on how complicated your estate is, Margolis says.

If you have the answers to the online questions at your fingertips, the will can be completed quickly, often in fewer than 30 minutes, which makes this an easy alternative. With an attorney, you’ll spend time in a face-to-face meeting and then pay for the time it takes for preparation of the document. For this, some lawyers charge by the hour while others seek a flat fee.

Privacy can be a factor for some individuals. Some people just don’t want to discuss their dying wishes and health care directives with a complete stranger.

“If you feel uncomfortable talking in person with someone about personal issues, online might be the way to go,” says Margolis. “However, attorneys are required to keep your personal business confidential, too.”

According to the ABA, it doesn’t endorse any online will-writing sites. It also doesn’t take an official position concerning online will sites.

Disadvantages of online wills

One of the biggest drawbacks to an online will is that a professional hasn’t reviewed the documents, says Granat. If that worries you, hire an attorney to review what you have done online. He should be current on any new laws in your state.

However, a law could have changed without the online site updating its information. It’s also possible that the online form you choose may not be the right one for your situation.

“You are buying something without a warranty, as is,” says Granat. “If there’s something wrong with it, even with one small mistake, you’re taking a risk. But if a lawyer drafts the will, he stands behind his documents.”

Online will resources

Dot the i’s and cross the t’s

Following the instructions on the site carefully, signing the will correctly and having it witnessed properly all work toward making it hold up legally, says Margolis. Signing and witnessing requirements vary from state to state, so make sure you do what your state requires. Wills can be challenged if there’s a mistake or an ambiguity.

“Although you know what you want the will to say, it may not be clear to the reader,” Margolis says. “And if you take a standard will form and insert your own language, that’s a mistake.”

When searching for an online will-writing site, look for one that stands behind its documents and will give you a total refund if you’re not satisfied. Determine if lawyers are involved in the site and how long the site has been in existence. This is often stated in the “about us” section of a Web site, but you can also call and ask.

Other documents, including a health care proxy or power of attorney, a living will and “power of attorney with durable provision,” should also be available and either included in the cost or for an added fee. According to Granat, you need all these documents, not just the will.

Compare the online sites’ options and costs. You may want to choose the one that costs the most, says Margolis. “You’ll usually get more if you pay more,” he says.

Online will-writing sites haven’t been around long enough to test their rate of success. According to Granat, they won’t know until the customers who purchased these products die as to whether this is a smart way to handle a will.

Still, Granat says, “Any will is better than no will at all, providing that the will you get is appropriate for your particular circumstances.”

© 2010 Bankrate, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Originally posted at http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/do-it-yourself-wills-online-1.aspx

Consumers who register at MyLawyer.com can access their own secure MyLegalAffairs™ page where they can assemble hundreds of free legal documents, access free legal information resources, and if they need it, affordably purchase legal advice by the question and purchase other legal services “ala carte” from a network of qualified virtual law firms that are listed on the site. Clients who want a lawyer to review their completed legal document can also transfer it electronically to one of the law firms for review.

MyLawyer.com is the only web-based attorney directory where the pricing of discrete legal services is listed for the consumer to evaluate and compare to services from conventional attorneys.

“It is time for consumers to understand that when they purchase a document from companies like LegalZoom® that they get no legal advice and are really just getting a legal form that often they can find for free on the Internet,” said attorney Richard Granat, eLawyering expert and president of MyLawyer.com® Inc. “Non-lawyer legal document preparation services, which hold themselves out as having legal expertise, have no basis for comparing themselves with law firms, as they do not provide legal advice. Law firms are starting to fight back with real legal services online at affordable prices for moderate- and middle-income clients.”

The MyLawyer.com® Law Firm Directory is the only directory on the Internet that consists of only law firms offering “unbundling legal services” and which have the capacity to offer these services directly to consumers over the Internet. “Unbundled” legal services, also known as “limited legal services” or “legal services ala carte,” means purchasing just the legal services or advice you need and no more and at a fixed price, rather than the conventional practice of charging by the hour.

Richard Susskind, author of “The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services” and UK legal futurist, in writing about the DirectLaw/MyLawyer model, comments that “Granat aims to offer his service at the same price as purely online systems but with the added advantages (in interpersonal and liability terms) of having a qualified lawyer involved. He is showing that legal technology can be deployed easily and cheaply by small practices.”

Mr. Granat has been involved in developing innovative legal services delivery systems for over 30 years. In 2010, he was awarded the Louis M. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award in Innovation in the Delivery of Legal Services from the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services for his efforts to deliver the next generation of affordable legal services for moderate- and middle-income Americans.

About MyLawyer.com, Inc.
MyLawyer.com®, Inc., is based in Owings Mills, Md. and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. DirectLaw is a subsidiary of DirectLaw, Inc., the leading provider of a virtual law firm platform to solos and small law firms in the United States. MyLawyer.com is the consumer-focused legal web site of the DirectLaw network of law firms that offers free legal forms and free legal information to consumers. For more information: http://www.directlaw.com and http://www.mylawyer.com .

About Richard Granat:
Richard Granat (http://www.directlaw.com/team.asp) is President and founder of DirectLaw, Inc., and MyLawyer.com,Inc. He is also managing partner of Granat Legal Services, P.C. (http://www.marylandfamilylawyer.com) a virtual law firm that is the prototype for the DirectLaw™ Virtual Law Firm Platform. Mr. Granat is also co-chair of the eLawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Section , a member of the Section Council of the American Bar Association, serves on the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services of the ABA, and a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. Mr. Granat is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar.
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Contact Information:
Rebecca Green Infinite Public Relations, LLC
(347) 529-6944
Pam Andrews
DirectLaw, Inc.
(443) 812-7252

Mark Radom has over 14 years of experience in New York, London and Israel advising investment banks, sovereigns, funds and corporations in a wide range of formation, financing and commercial matters. In recent years, Mr. Radom’s practice has focused on the formation and financing of green/clean technology start-ups. He began his legal career in New York at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Mr. Radom continued his practice in London at Fried, Frank, Shriver & Jacobson and Dewey Ballantine. Rimon is excited to expand its cleantech law practice with the addition of Mr. Radom.

Carl Sherer is an expert in corporate and securities law, with over twenty-five years of experience helping individuals and corporations in both transactional and regulatory settings. He earned his J.D and M.B.A. from New York University and his B.A. from Columbia University. Prior to joining Rimon, Mr. Sherer was a partner at Silber, Schottenfels, Gerber & Sherer, and was an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Schulte Roth & Zabel in New York City. He was of counsel to Zell Goldberg & Co., in addition to spending four years as an Assistant to the General Counsel at the Israel Securities Authority. Carl is a member of Rimon’s Israeli Transactions Practice Group.

Frederick Tsien is a seasoned Silicon Valley attorney with over 20 years of broad and diverse experience providing business counsel to, and managing the legal affairs of, high technology companies. He specializes in enabling emerging growth companies to negotiate and close deals with The Global 1,000. Mr. Tsien started his career in the semiconductor industry and has served as General Counsel or Associate General Counsel in the disk drive, medical equipment, computer hardware, and software industries. With his demonstrated expertise in structuring, negotiating and closing complex and strategic transactions–especially involving intellectual property–he has proven to be a valuable asset in the alliance intensive high tech world.

About Rimon Law Group

Rimon, as one of the first high-end virtual law firms in the United States, has been an innovator in the legal industry since its inception. It was the among the first law firms in the country to feature only partner-level attorneys operating in a low-overhead environment, and the first law firm in the United States to implement a satisfaction-based billing program. Rimon was also among the first law firms to be awarded B Corporation certification, marking Rimon Law Group as a leader in the realms of social and environmental responsibility. Rimon also utilizes a highly efficient platform to make sure its clients receive the highest level of service without the antiquated costs of a traditional law firm – a model called Law Firm 2.0.

For more information about Rimon Law Group and our attorneys, please visit http://www.rimonlaw.com/.

The partnership between Rimon and VPS comes at a time when the virtual legal world is really coming into its own. In today’s legal market increasing the bottom line has become clients’ number one issue. The power of the experience Rimon lawyers and VPS paralegals, together a highly efficient technological platform, this partnership has the ability to significantly change the way businesses view the quality and cost of legal services. “The partnership of VPS and Rimon Law Group is a perfect fit,” says Denise Annunciata, “I am excited to see how VPS can assist Rimon in defining its mark in the legal industry. By effectively utilizing experienced paralegal assistance, Rimon lawyers can increase their bandwidth and concentrate their expertise on more substantive legal matters and Rimon’s clients will benefit from the bottom line cost-savings of having experienced paralegals efficiently tackle routine projects more quickly and efficiently handled by paralegals. It’s a perfect fit.”
“Bringing together partner-level attorneys with senior paralegals, all with decades of experience from large law firms and corporations, just makes sense.” say Michael Moradzadeh, Managing Partner of Rimon Law Group. “The traditional law firm relies on a pyramid structure whereby the most experienced attorneys no longer do any substantive legal work, while inexperienced attorneys learn on the job – on the clients dime. The general convention is that junior associates rely on senior paralegals to guide them. By partnering with VPS we have cut out the waste, allowing for efficient delegation without any loss in quality.
About Virtual Paralegal Services
Virtual Paralegal Services, Inc. incorporated in January 2006, provides experienced, senior level on-demand paralegal services to lawyers working in solo practice, small firms and in-house legal departments nationwide, including outside general counsels and “Big-Solo attorneys”. VPS paralegals each have over 10 years experience working in corporations and large law firms. Currently servicing over 100 clients nationwide, Denise Annunciata, the founder of VPS has been recognized for her innovation as a “Legal Rebel” by the ABA Journal.

About Rimon Law Group
Rimon Law Group is a full-service corporate law firm of only partner-level attorneys with experience from major international companies, law firms and governmental agencies. Rimon Law Group’s attorneys are former General Counsels, judges and law firm partners and are graduates of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Wharton, Stanford, Duke, Cornell and NYU.
Rimon, as one of the first high-end virtual law firms in the United States, has been an innovator in the legal industry since its inception. It was the among the first law firms in the country to feature only partner-level attorneys operating in a low-overhead environment, and the first law firm in the United States to implement a satisfaction-based billing program. Rimon was also among the first law firms to be awarded B Corporation certification, marking Rimon Law Group as a leader in the realms of social and environmental responsibility. Rimon also utilizes a highly efficient platform to make sure our clients receive the highest level of service without the antiquated costs of a traditional law firm – they call it Law Firm 2.0.

Currently there are perhaps four or five large virtual law firms –Rimon Law Group, Paragon Legal, Virtual Law Partners and FSB Legal. Each of these virtual law firms have reported large gains in revenue during the last year, even though the corporate law firms in general have experienced drastic cuts during this Great Recession. These firms also appear to be expanding their client pools. In the last two years my firm, Rimon Law Group (www.rimonlaw.com), has experienced continued growth in start-up representation as well as financing rounds, technology transactions, and outside-GC work.

Rimon’s clients have ranged in size and location – coming from all parts of the United States and several countries abroad. While two years ago clients were more cautious working with a virtual law firm model, now they understand the appeal of the distributive model and the Law Firm 2.0 technology (see http://www.rimonlaw.com/lawfirm2_0.php) that allows for more efficiency.

From the lawyer side we have also noticed growing interest in join us. The virtual law firm model is especially appealing to experienced lawyers from prestigious big law firms who are looking for more flexibility without the drawbacks of solo practice. They want the camaraderie, depth of expertise, and challenging work that prestigious law firms provide, but are tired of the face time, commute, and arbitrary billable hours that have become the norm at traditional firms.

Big firms are here to stay – someone needs to train the young associates and to do the multi-billion dollar deals. However, prestigious virtual law firms are proving highly effective and are sure to grow and prosper in the coming years.

Dov M. Grunschlag has practiced labor and employment law for over 30 years. His practice combines, providing counseling and litigation on behalf of employers and individuals. A Fellow of the prestigious nationwide College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Dov has had the Super Lawyer rating for employment lawyers since 2005. He was a partner in the labor and employment group of at the international law firm DLA Piper and its predecessor firm in San Francisco, Steinhart & Falconer. Before entering law practice, he was Professor of Law at the University of California at Davis and served as law clerk to Chief Justice Roger Traynor, of the California Supreme Court.

Jason Jungreis has over 20 years of experience practicing cleantech, business, construction, and surety law. He has been engaged in a full range of complex civil practice in both state and federal courts. He is also well versed in energy-audit and energy-retrofit business consulting projects. Jason serves as Vice President of the San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association, and publicly speaks on electric vehicles, energy issues, and cleantech advances. For the past decade heHe has been a regular Judge Pro Tem in San Francisco Superior Court, and is a very active member of his community in many neighborhood organizations.

John Rosenbaum brings to the firm a wealth of knowledge of experience in both law and business, in a rare combination of disciplines rendering him especially capable of analyzing and providing solutions to business quandaries and providing solutions. After graduating cum laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law, John served as Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. As a corporate lawyer with White & Case LLP, one of the preeminent firms in the world, John was charged with responsibility responsible for significant and complex transactions.

Rosanna Russell is a commercial real estate attorney who has practiced many years with major firms in San Franciscojoins Rimon Law Group from Cooley Godward. She has extensive nationwide experience in commercial real estate matters, primarily sales and acquisitions, leasing (including office, retail, shopping center, industrial and warehouse leasing), entity formation, construction, financing and management. She has particular expertise acting as the primary real estate legal advisor to senior transaction directors. Rosanna also has significant experience managing due diligence teams in multi-party loan and merger and acquisition transactions, both domestically and internationally.

About Rimon Law Group
Rimon, as one of the first high-end virtual law firms in the United States, has been an innovator in the legal industry since its inception. It was the among the first law firms in the country to feature only partner-level attorneys operating in a low-overhead environment, and the first law firm in the United States to implement a satisfaction-based billing program. Rimon was also among the first law firms to be awarded B Corporation certification, marking Rimon Law Group as a leader in the realms of social and environmental responsibility. Rimon also utilizes a highly efficient platform to make sure its clients receive the highest level of service without the antiquated costs of a traditional law firm – a model called Law Firm 2.0.

As technology leads the way, welcoming a share of the American work force in more and more career fields, the legal field is not immune. E-lawyering has been increasing in popularity because people are finding that it simply makes sense. The consumer gets high-quality legal services that they might not have been able to afford from a traditional law firm, and the attorneys get to provide their services to a greater number of people, while reducing their own overhead in the process.

Lawyers looking to take their career in a more relaxed direction may want to consider e-lawyering. Working from home provides benefits and tax advantages, and may just be the new direction that they seek. It is especially ideal for those who are self-starters, since they can then work when it’s more convenient for them, using technology to facilitate their business.

Today, places like EsquireDirect.com, a virtual law firm, are successfully providing their state, Massachusetts, with high-quality legal work provided by a team of accomplished lawyers. They provide a variety of services that include wills, trusts, business documents, and divorce papers, among others.

Whether you are a new lawyer looking to gain some experience and build a client base, or a mom who wants to put her law degree to use while staying at home with her kids, many opportunities are available today for those who consider e-lawyering. Virtual law firms are the next step forward in the legal field, and technology is leading the way.

Those lawyers that limit themselves to finding clients only in their own backyard are typically coming from traditional firms. Such firms still exist, but attorneys today are beginning to see a brighter, easier route to finding new clients. Many are taking their services online and are beginning to provide e-lawyering services. E-lawyering is the practice of a skilled and qualified lawyer who takes their practice online and provides a virtual law firm service.

Virtual law firms are becoming increasingly popular because many lawyers are finding it advantageous to abandon the idea of only offering those ‘on Main Street’ services. Why be limited to clients who live in your city, when you can have the entire state at your disposal? These lawyers get to provide the same quality services, yet save on commute times and costs, and the high overhead of maintaining a traditional law firm, among other benefits.

The public is benefiting from virtual law firms, as well. E-lawyers provide a chance at legal services that many clients would not otherwise be able to afford. With more affordable prices for the same high-quality services, people can get the services they need without the hassle of paying high hourly fees. Plus, it’s more convenient for the clients, as well, as they can usually conduct their business when it fits into their schedule.

Whether lawyers are looking to find a new way to marry their current skills with where technology is taking the legal field, or whether they are intrigued by the idea of skipping a commute to work, the reasons many lawyers are going virtual are as varied as the lawyers themselves. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for the attorneys and the public alike.

LegallyNoted acts like a 24-hour virtual study group that works by providing active law students with an innovative platform to share class notes, briefs, outlines, and class strategies. These study materials are categorized by law school, class, and professor, which make it extremely user-friendly.

Driven by her own experiences, founder Gianna Scatchell set up the online community to help others like her. Gianna says, “law school is time-consuming and challenging. Working in study groups to share ideas and notes was a great way to grasp difficult material. However, given everyone’s busy schedules, it was hard to set a meeting time and place. That’s why, LegallyNoted is the perfect solution to make life easier for law students”.

The site is free to sign up for and law students can even make some extra cash by selling their lecture notes through LegallyNoted.com (http://www.legallynoted.com/)’s PayPal integration. The core of LegallyNoted promotes responsibility in preparing notes and a forum for sharing success.

Other unique member benefits include:

•    Store notes electronically on LegallyNoted’s password protected pages;

•    Create an easily-accessible and cost-free online group website for law school organizations to make class outlines available to all its members;

•    Interact with other students about various law school issues;

•    Earn reward points redeemable for prizes—Coming soon;

•    Read LegallyNoted’s Blog (http://legallynoted.wordpress.com/) for current legal news

For more information about LegallyNoted or for advertising opportunities, e-mail customerservice(at)legallynoted(dot)com.

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