Affordable Living Wills (and other legal documents) Available Online!
LegalZoom can help with some of your most common legal procedures
Not long ago Terri Schiavo was on everyone's mind when her fate became a bitter battle on many different fronts. The sad truth is that none of it had to happen. Terri’s wishes could have been known had she drafted a living will. Unfortunately for so many people, she hadn’t and without the living will, many will always wonder: did Terri Schiavo receive the care and ultimately the type of death she would have wanted?
That’s when I decided that I needed to take the necessary steps to create my own living will. If something should ever happen to me and I was unable to make decisions for my own healthcare, I didn’t want my family to go through the same kind of pain that the Schiavo family had experienced.
What I definitely did not want to do is spend a lot of money on an expensive attorney. Besides, years ago a paralegal friend of mine had told me that common legal documents we so often request a lawyer to draw up are actually boiler plate documents prepared by the paralegals in the office. Unfortunately, we're not charged the paralegal’s rate ;-(
I started researching options on the Internet, and that’s when I found LegalZoom, an online site that promised to save me time and money on legal matters and would help me create reliable legal documents from my home or office. With further investigation I discovered that LegalZoom was founded by a team of experienced attorneys who had worked at some of the most prestigious law firms in the country. One of the co-founders was Robert Shapiro (of the O.J. Simpson “Dream Team”). Setting my feelings aside regarding the outcome of the O.J. trial, I had to admit he was a brilliant lawyer. Besides, it brought satisfaction to know that this "Dream Team-er" had some involvement with my living will.
The site offers document preparation and filing for a wide range of routine legal procedures including but not limited to -
So What is a Living Will?
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A living will is simply a legal document that dictates how much artificial life support you want if you should fall into an irreversible coma or persistent vegetative state. It provides for the appointment of a guardian or health care surrogate, the person you designate to make medical decisions on your behalf if you can no longer make those decisions. And, like any will, a living can be revoked at any time…by destroying it or by communicating to a witness, a physician or other health care provider that you revoke it. Click here if you are interested in getting legitimate Online LEGAL Documents
 at 85% of what an attorney may charge? |
The site offers an easy-to-read on-line questionnaire, which asks you pertinent questions related to the matter. The company's software automatically inputs the customer-generated answers into the required legal documentation. The documents are then reviewed by paralegals to assure they are completed properly. If necessary, LegalZoom also handles the filing of the documents with the proper governmental authorities.
According to the company, LegalZoom "is not a law firm and does not render legal advice, but does offer general, nonspecific information and interactive help including legal topic resources, helpful tips, attorney referrals (for litigation and complex matters), and document maintenance arrangements."
When I checked out the pricing, it was easy to take the plunge. The Standard Living Will was $39. I decided to upgrade to the Gold Package ($59) which allowed me to make unlimited changes over the next five (5) years. Also, the questionnaire was free to complete so I got a sneak peek of the process without making a final commitment. Admittedly, I might get a comparable result from an off-the-shelf software package, but what I really liked was the assurance that my document would be reviewed by a paralegal.
Finally, the process was exactly as promised…"easy and convenient at lawyer-free prices." It does give me peace of mind knowing my living will (finally) lies safe and secure in my safely deposit box and my husband holds a copy of the original so that there is never any question what my wishes are.
In the case of Terri Schiavo, the courts had the final say over her fate. This doesn't have to be the case. A living will ensures others will know your wishes. If there is a silver lining in the fight over Terri's life, it may be that more people take advantage of their right to decide…on a living will.
-Susan Smith
Incorporations | LLCs | Trademarks | Copyrights | Citizenship | Divorce | Wills | Living Wills
Power of Attorney | Living Trust | DBA/Business Names | Name Change | Prenuptials
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