lawyer fees for a will?: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Aug. 20, 2008 11:58 a.m. mrsoul55 None

Met with a lawyer today to get a will drawn up. My wife and I just want to make sure our daughter is covered in case something happens to either or both of us. He's doing the normal will, a living will, and a power of attorney. Price is $300. Is that a fair price? He was recommended to me so I didn't get prices from other lawyers. The price seems fair to me but I really have no idea. Any thoughts? We're in Atlanta if that matters. Thanks everyone.
Aug. 20, 2008 12:07 p.m. ManofFewWords New Reader

yes that is fair in my experience
Aug. 20, 2008 12:21 p.m. bludroptop Dork

Yep. That's about what we paid. And that was through an attorney I've known professionally for about 10 years.
Aug. 20, 2008 1:52 p.m. billy3esq Dork

I don't know the Atlanta market, but that sounds like a pretty good price.
Aug. 20, 2008 3:41 p.m. SupraWes HalfDork

http://www.uslegalforms.com/wills/

Unless you are a brazillionaire that will work for ya.
Aug. 20, 2008 3:43 p.m. Salanis Dork

SupraWes wrote:

http://www.uslegalforms.com/wills/

Unless you are a brazillionaire that will work for ya.

And who wouldn't love to own Brazil?
Aug. 20, 2008 3:55 p.m. Duke Dork

Yeah, we paid about $300 or so for ours.
Aug. 20, 2008 3:59 p.m. JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director

So, just how binding are wills when it comes to wacky requests? I'm specifically referring to the "Scooby-Doo" clause whereby someone has to spend the night in your haunted mansion before they can get your old crap. Would a will with a stipulation like that hold up in court?

jg
Aug. 20, 2008 4:00 p.m. Duke Dork

Sure it would, unless the request itself is an illegal activity.
Aug. 20, 2008 5:07 p.m. Tommy Suddard

What actually happens when a crazy old lady gives everything to a cat? Is the property split evenly? Does it go to the relative that takes care of the cat?
Aug. 20, 2008 5:13 p.m. Salanis Dork

What happens if you will someone a Boot to the Head?
Aug. 20, 2008 5:23 p.m. billy3esq Dork

SupraWes wrote:

http://www.uslegalforms.com/wills/

Unless you are a brazillionaire that will work for ya.

Lawyers who make their living administering estates love form wills filled out by non-lawyers. It's a never-ending gravy train. A few hundred bucks now will likely save tens of thousands later.

Trust me. That isn't just lawyer protectionism. I'm not in estate planning, but I've seen a few form wills, and I've only ever seen one that was done right. That was the one I did for myself right after I graduated law school (and still remembered some probate stuff). My second one was and all my future ones will be done by a pro.

The problem isn't usually the forms, though. The problem is usually that they aren't filled out properly or completely. The other thing that trips people up is they don't execute them properly. There are significant formalities that must be observed in executing a will, and failure to do the dance properly can cause big, big problems down the road.
Aug. 20, 2008 5:24 p.m. billy3esq Dork

JG Pasterjak wrote:

So, just how binding are wills when it comes to wacky requests? I'm specifically referring to the "Scooby-Doo" clause whereby someone has to spend the night in your haunted mansion before they can get your old crap. Would a will with a stipulation like that hold up in court?

jg

Depends on what it is, and it can vary a bit from state to state. Those types of restrictions generally can't affect fundamental rights. For example, a provision disinheriting you unless you marry a nice Jewish boy would likely be invalid.
Aug. 20, 2008 5:27 p.m. billy3esq Dork

Tommy Suddard wrote:

What actually happens when a crazy old lady gives everything to a cat? Is the property split evenly? Does it go to the relative that takes care of the cat?

Depends. You can't actually leave property to an animal. You can set up a trust to care for the animal. Assuming you tried to leave property directly to an animal in a will, it would either pass under the residuary clause of the will (the part at the end that says everything else goes to _) or, if there was no residuary clause (or the residuary was to an animal), the property would pass by intestacy (i.e., the way it would pass if there was no will).

BTW, none of this is legal advice, I'm not anybody's lawyer, I'm probably not even licensed in the state where any of you live (I'm certainly not licensed in Florida, Tommy), and if you really need to know the answer to this question, find a lawyer near you.
Aug. 20, 2008 5:29 p.m. billy3esq Dork

Salanis wrote:

What happens if you will someone a Boot to the Head?

I don't know, but I'd be willing to consider a reduced fee for probating such a will.
Aug. 20, 2008 6:06 p.m. Tommy Suddard

billy3esq wrote:

Tommy Suddard wrote:

What actually happens when a crazy old lady gives everything to a cat? Is the property split evenly? Does it go to the relative that takes care of the cat?

Depends. You can't actually leave property to an animal. You can set up a trust to care for the animal. Assuming you tried to leave property directly to an animal in a will, it would either pass under the residuary clause of the will (the part at the end that says everything else goes to _) or, if there was no residuary clause (or the residuary was to an animal), the property would pass by intestacy (i.e., the way it would pass if there was no will).

BTW, none of this is legal advice, I'm not anybody's lawyer, I'm probably not even licensed in the state where any of you live (I'm certainly not licensed in Florida, Tommy), and if you really need to know the answer to this question, find a lawyer near you.

I really hope I never need to actually know the answer to that question. Or Salanis's.
Aug. 20, 2008 6:12 p.m. Salanis Dork

Tommy Suddard wrote:

I really hope I never need to actually know the answer to that question. Or Salanis's.

You probably don't expect the Spanish Inquisition, either.
Aug. 20, 2008 7:27 p.m. Tommy Suddard

Nope, never would have expected that, either. Funny, though.
Aug. 20, 2008 8:01 p.m. bludroptop Dork

NO ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

And yes, my will puts a reasonably significant chunk of change in a trust for the care of our pets to live out the remainder of their natural lives together, should they survive us.

So in effect, I am leaving my money to the cats.
Aug. 20, 2008 8:04 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor

I didn't expect this, either. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enlyHAJfwyI&feature=related
Aug. 20, 2008 9:03 p.m. billy3esq Dork

bludroptop wrote:

NO ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

Dang, beat me to it.