Avoid Using AI to Create a DIY Estate Plan

July 30, 2024

Estate planning is crucial to carry out your wishes after you’re gone. However, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), some wonder if it can bypass traditional methods. Some people have used AI tools to create DIY estate plans that look good to the untrained eye but have serious shortcomings. Avoid using AI to create a DIY estate plan.

Artificial intelligence refers to computer programs that use complex algorithms to perform tasks usually requiring human intelligence. AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini have recently become widely available. Creative writers and many others use these tools for help with research, drafting documents and other purposes. You would think a DIY estate plan with AI could work. However, a close examination reveals its shortcomings.

If you’re comfortable writing a document, you can use AI to assist in drafting. This could help in documents, like wills and powers of attorney, by generating them from information you provide. For most people, though, this would do more harm than good. It’s necessary to understand the limitations and risks of AI in estate planning.

While ChatGPT and other chatbots are impressive tools, they lack true intelligence. This can often make DIY estate plans with AI no better than having no estate plan at all.

Lack of Critical Thinking: AI lacks the ability to think critically. It uses pre-fed data to generate responses, which can lead to inaccuracies. For example, AI might misinterpret your instructions or miss important details about your estate.
Hallucinations: AI can “hallucinate,” or produce entirely fictional information. There have been cases where AI-generated legal documents contained fabricated cases and statutes. This can render AI-based legal documents completely invalid, with severe consequences.
Incomplete Customization: Estate plans need to be highly personalized. AI might not consider all personal details, such as the specific needs of your family members or your unique financial situation. This could result in a plan that doesn’t reflect your wishes.

When you input personal data into an AI tool, there’s a risk of confidentiality breaches. AI systems store this information, which others can potentially access. This raises significant privacy concerns, since a data breach could expose sensitive information about your family and assets.

AI might seem like a cost-effective solution compared to hiring an attorney. However, the likely risks and inaccuracies can be devastatingly costly in the long run. Errors in your estate plan can result in legal disputes, probate battles and avoidable tax burdens.

Estate planning attorneys bring a level of expertise and personal touch that AI cannot match. They can:

Ensure that all legal documents are accurate and tailored to your needs.
Provide critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Address complex family dynamics and financial situations.
Guarantee confidentiality and privacy of your personal information.
Offer ongoing support and updates to your estate plan as laws and personal circumstances change.

The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) reports that a New York lawyer used AI to find case law for his case. However, they discovered the cases were entirely fabricated, and he soon faced sanctions. A Florida attorney similarly faced suspension for submitting AI-generated pleadings with non-existent cases. Despite the progress in AI, these tools remain inadequate for legal purposes.

AI lacks the human element necessary for comprehensive estate planning. Human attorneys understand the nuances of the law with true understanding that AI simply cannot replicate. Furthermore, a human attorney brings interpersonal skills and business experience to your estate planning. They can foresee potential issues with your family and new developments in the law to create a comprehensive, enforceable estate plan.

Avoid using AI to create a DIY estate plan. While AI can help draft simple documents, it is not a substitute for an estate planning attorney’s expertise. The risks of inaccuracies, lack of customization and potential privacy breaches make it unreliable. A skilled estate planning attorney is needed to create a comprehensive and accurate estate plan. If you would like to learn more about the risks of DIY estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) (Apr. 18, 2024) ”Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Creating an Estate Plan”

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Mistakes can lead to an Invalid Will

May 11, 2022

One of the many reasons an experienced estate planning attorney is the best resource for creating an estate plan, including a Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy, is the confidence of knowing your estate plan has been properly prepared. People who believe they know better than an experienced lawyer, often send their families into a legal, financial, and emotional black hole after they die. Mistakes can lead to an invalid will. The article “Red Flags Indicating a Potentially Invalid Will” from The National Law Journal provides a closer look at why it pays to work with a professional.

When a decedent executes a new Last Will near the end of their life and makes a dramatic change to previous estate plans, there may be trouble ahead. When this is the case, several issues need to be examined to ensure that the document is valid. Strong consideration must be given to whether the person had sufficient capacity to execute the document.

When a person is suffering from an illness or near death, they may be susceptible to the improper influence of people who may cause them to make uncharacteristic changes to their estate plan. Any Last Will drafted within the last few months of a person’s life requires careful review.

If, shortly after a person has handed the reins of their financial life to another, using a Power of Attorney in any of its forms (Durable POA, Springing POA) and a new Last Will is created, a red flag should be raised, especially if the Last Will has been changed to benefit this person.

What if a person’s capacity was hovering near the borderline of capacity and incapacity? If a decedent’s mental capacity was questionable at the time the Last Will was executed, the Last Will may not be valid. A person with legal mental capacity must understand the assets they own and clearly understand to whom they are bequeathing assets. The standard for this issue is low, but if the decedent was suffering from a degenerative mental condition or a sudden onset of incapacity due to an illness or accident, the Last Will may be challenged.

If a layperson creates a Last Will or uses an online service to create it and the Last Will does not comply with the state’s estate laws, the Last Will may have technical issues rendering it invalid. When this occurs, it is as if there were no Last Will at all and the estate is distributed according to the laws of the state.

The biggest red flag is the presence of any large changes from the next to Last Will to the final Last Will, with no known reason for the change having been made. This may be a result of changes to mental capacity or undue influence of a third party. An experienced estate planning attorney is the best resource to create a Last Will. They will be among the first to ask why significant changes from a prior Last Will are being requested. Don’t allow mistakes to jeopardize your wishes and lead to an invalid will. If you would like to learn more about drafting a will, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The National Law Journal (March 30, 2022) “Red Flags Indicating a Potentially Invalid Will”

Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels

The Estate of The Union Season 3|Episode 10

The Estate of The Union Episode 9 out now!

September 24, 2021

The Estate of The Union Episode 9 out now! In the latest installment, Brad Wiewel of Texas Trust Law chats with Grace Cook of Harrell Funeral Home about a subject that is often overlooked – pre-planning your funeral.

Planning a funeral can be a daunting task for loved ones still grieving. It can also be an overwhelming financial burden on the family. Pre-arranging your own service will help to ease the burden of your loved ones. It will also alleviate any questions, problems or differences, which can occur among family members. The arrangements you make will reflect your exact wishes and desires. You can give this gift of love by providing meaningful final instructions.

Brad and Grace share a lively discussion of the common problems she sees with funeral planning, as well as some of the more unique and special ways families have arranged memorials for the deceased. It can seem like a heavy subject, but pre-planning your funeral might be the last, best plan you ever make!

In each episode of The Estate of The Union podcast, host and lawyer Brad Wiewel will give valuable insight into estate planning, making an often daunting subject easier to understand.

It is Estate Planning Made Simple!

Harrell Funeral Home is the largest family-owned funeral home in Austin and the surrounding areas. You may reach them at harrellfuneralhomes.com.

The Estate of The Union can be found on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. Please click on the link below to listen to the new installment of The Estate of The Union podcast. The Estate of The Union Episode 9 out now. We hope you enjoy it.

Texas Trust Law/Texas Trust Law focuses its practice exclusively in the area of wills, probate, estate planning, asset protection, and special needs planning. Brad Wiewel is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

New Installment of The Estate of The Union Podcast

September 2, 2021

In this new installment of The Estate of The Union Podcast, Brad Wiewel is joined by Ann Lumley, JD, the Director of After Life Services and Trust Administration for Texas Trust Law to discuss celebrity estate planning screw ups.

The size and scope of the mistakes made by celebrities may be enormous, but many of the mistakes are common for, well, us common people. Ann and Brad discuss the havoc created by celebrities when they died with no planning or inadequate planning. It’s a fun, fast moving discussion on What-Not-To-Do. Learning lessons from celebrity estate planning mistakes is a good way to prevent yourself from making those same errors. If you don’t have an estate plan, get it started. If you haven’t looked at your estate plan in a while, have it reviewed.

In each episode of The Estate of The Union podcast, host and lawyer Brad Wiewel will give valuable insight into estate planning, making an often daunting subject easier to understand.

It is Estate Planning Made Simple!

Texas Trust Law focuses its practice exclusively in the area of wills, probate, estate planning, asset protection, and special needs planning. Brad Wiewel is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Handwritten Will can be a Serious Mistake

June 16, 2021

A holographic, or handwritten, will might sound like a nice, simple way to address your estate when you pass. Yet, a handwritten will can be a serious mistake. Some states, recognize holographic wills under limited circumstances, such as Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

In some of these states, if a will was handwritten by its maker, the state will recognize the will provided it was executed with the state’s requirements for valid wills.

Many states, require, among other things, that at least two witnesses attest and sign the will in the presence of each other, as well as in the presence of the maker.

Think Advisor’s May 20 article entitled “Relying on Holographic Wills Is a Terrible Idea” says that, while a holographic will could be valid in your state, there are many instances where attempts to comply with the state probate laws failed.

If the maker of a holographic will lives in a state that doesn’t accept holographic wills, the will isn’t valid.

In those cases, if there aren’t any valid prior wills, the testator’s property will be distributed to his or her heirs according to state intestacy law, rather than the intent of the testator.

This makes it problematic for someone who makes a holographic will. That is because the maker of the will intended for the assets to pass in a certain way, and perhaps not how the state’s laws say.

Some people are not too concerned with making a will. However, that may be a result of a person not having many assets, or the individual relying on will alternatives, like intestacy laws, joint bank accounts, payable or transfer on death accounts, and certain deeds, such as real property owned tenancy by entirety (property owned by a married couple).

Some states also have what is known as a lady bird deed, or an enhanced life estate deed. This document permits the owner of the real property to have control of the property, until he or she dies. The property is then transferred automatically to the person(s) named in the deed. It’s essentially a lady bird deed as being a pay-on-death account for real estate.

A handwritten will can be a serious mistake with consequences for your loved ones that could last for years. Avoid this potential crisis by talking to an experienced estate planning attorney.

If you would like to learn more about drafting a will, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Think Advisor (May 20, 2021) “Relying on Holographic Wills Is a Terrible Idea”

Category: Holographic Wills

Avoid Using AI to Create a DIY Estate Plan

Mistakes can lead to an Invalid Will

The Estate of The Union Episode 9 out now!

New Installment of The Estate of The Union Podcast

Handwritten Will can be a Serious Mistake

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