Comments on: How to Make a Will & Living Trust Without a Lawyer

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:03:54 +0000

In reply to Michael Davisson. I am not sure you can get out of contacting the people on your own -- but yes, I do believe attorneys grossly overcharge for this.

By: Michael Davisson

Michael Davisson — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:00:44 +0000

Hello
A few years ago we went through a similar process to start
a living trust however we initially contacted an estate attorney
for an upfront fee of $850. He gave us the paperwork that we needed to fill out but I was overwhelmed with the process. I had to contact all of our account holders myself and it was a pain.
After I had done all of the transfers the attorney wanted another $700 to do the filing. Realizing that I had done all the work I decided to file on my own. That took some additional work but I’m glad that I did. Seems like attorneys overcharge for what amounts to really not much work on their part. I wish that I had thought of using a paralegal instead of an attorney.

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 23:05:08 +0000

In reply to Confused. Oh gosh, I do not know. Maybe visit a local law school and see if they have help times they can give you?

By: Confused

Confused — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:32:45 +0000

I’m on disability, 56 years old and my disability check is gone by the time I pay all of my insurances, utilities, and a few groceries. I don’t have children, my family isn’t close since I got married 3 years ago. My husband has metastatic cancer and in a clinical trial. He has a will but I’m not in it… (he went behind my back and had his son sign) I don’t have one, and I don’t know how to proceed with a will right now? Can you advise me on what to do?

By: Kimberly M.

Kimberly M. — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 13:24:51 +0000

In reply to Nana Baber. You are so correct on everything you said!! Many of us struggle with day-to-day living, much less having to give away so much of our funds to a process that’s should already be streamlined and easily implemented. It appears to me the most important parts of completing the paperwork is on the individual thinking through their own circumstances versus the attorney is dropping it into a template and charging you an arm and a leg. Having some recourse based on some type of planning is so much better than doing nothing because you don’t know how or where to get started. For relatives that have passed away that handled their affairs it made it so much easier on the family when closing their estates and even then me and my sister still took months to get everything closed down, but at least we didn’t have to go through probate. For the relatives that had no will other relatives with greed did fraudulent things to claim their belongings and assets. I have personally been putting off this process of both will and trust thinking that to go. The Attorney route it would cost me upwards of five to $7000 which is totally outrageous and nobody has that. So again I’ll at least do what my humble relatives did that had legal documents in place so none of my family has to jump through hoops for no real reason after all of my 60 years of hard work in taking care of everybody else. Thank you again for this awesome article to at least give us the motivation to do something other than nothing.

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:43:53 +0000

In reply to Memaw. Yeah, a lawyer is just SO expensive for something that really is VERY simple.... I feel like AI can help us on this one with some time. :)

By: Memaw

Memaw — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 03:19:06 +0000

In reply to Nana Baber. Not to mention we probably helped to pay off his/her student loans:(

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 18:32:28 +0000

In reply to Nana Baber.

Yeah, I think it’s an important thing that is wildly over-priced…. so I hope it’s helpful. 🙂

By: Nana Baber

Nana Baber — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 01:47:56 +0000

I appreciate you taking the time to write this educational post. I myself, & many other people who have LOW INCOME, can use any suggestions, advice, & any other resources that are available on this topic. NOT Everyone can afford a lawyer. I for one, along with the majority of the population who, ARE EMPLOYED, can’t afford a lawyer. I work every single day, & I work all the overtime I can get, & after all my bills are paid I can barely afford to eat, much less have the extra cash to give a lawyer, or any other person, to be able to provide, & file legal documents. I know these documents are extremely important, but my family being able to eat is the most important to me.

So, for the Lawyer who commented on this post, telling the writer not to be advising people, You went to Law School, there is a lot of great advice you can give, but I sure DON’T see you trying to educate people. I’m sure you gladly Charge people, despite what their families may have to suffer, bc they most likely had to pay you an extremely large unfair amount for any advice you give, & a higher price for the services you provide.

So to the writer, Thank you so very much for caring enough to write this educational post.

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:00:33 +0000

In reply to Joanne Hallis.

Sadly, I’m not a lawyer so I don’t know…. 🙁