As a Best of the Best Estate Planning law firm in Frederick, MD, one of the biggest misperceptions we encounter is the belief that Estate Planning is just about “getting the documents.”
It’s not. Estate planning is truly about planning – understanding your goals, your family, and how your assets work together across generations. The legal documents are merely tools to carry out that plan, but they’re not the solution on their own.
The Danger of DIY and Work Legal Plan Documents
We understand why people are tempted to use online or AI-generated Wills and Trusts. They appear convenient and inexpensive. However, after more than two decades of legal experience in both Estate Planning and Probate law, we’ve seen firsthand how those “savings” can cost families dearly later.
Families often come to us heartbroken and frustrated when they discover that a loved one’s “work legal plan Trust” didn’t actually avoid Probate – or worse, accidentally disinherited children or other dear loved ones. In many cases, the documents were never properly executed or funded, meaning that the assets still had to pass through the Probate court, defeating the very purpose of having a Trust.
Why Documents Alone Aren’t Enough
Documents without a legal strategy are like a map without a destination. An online platform, AI generator, non-attorney advisor or work-suggested legal plan can’t understand family nuances, blended households, or special needs beneficiaries and how it all gets affected by legal nuances. They can’t recognize that titling your home one way could undo your planning – or that naming a certain person as a beneficiary might disqualify them from government benefits.
Financial advisors have recently started offering Wills and Trusts – despite never attending law school or practicing law in the courts that actually decide how those documents hold up. What’s missing is an understanding of how local judges interpret estate plans, how laws evolve, and how many mistakes could be avoided with legal guidance.
What We Offer
With us, you are investing in a strategy built on decades of legal knowledge and courtroom insight. We unite experience from both the Planning and the Probate sides of the law, allowing us to anticipate and prevent the very issues we see others struggling with in court.
Our goal is simple: to ensure your plan works when it’s needed most – protecting your loved ones, preserving your legacy, and sparing your family the stress and cost of fixing preventable mistakes. Because in Estate Planning, documents alone are not enough. Legal strategy is everything.
If you need help protecting money and loved ones, call us 301-696-0567 or self-schedule on our website. Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/LOLACnewsletter