Attorney . . . or . . . Do-It-Yourself
LegalZoom, RocketLawyer, Nolo . . . the list goes on and on. So what do you do when you are faced with what seems like a simple legal issue. Do you pick up the phone and call an attorney, or do you grab your mouse and do it yourself?
There has been a proliferation of legal self-help websites that offer all types of legal documentation, from wills to divorces and from incorporations to bankruptcy. These sites offer “solutions” to your legal problems at rock-bottom prices. But just what do they really do and are they an acceptable replacement to an attorney?
The disclaimers read something like this: The information provided on this site is not legal advice. This service is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This service cannot provide legal advice and can only provide self-help services at your specific direction. And they go on for pages from there. So, it is clear, these companies are not offering legal advice, but instead are offering documents that attempt to solve general legal problems, based on your direction. The important decision of whether the documents work in your circumstance (and what documents you need) is left solely up to you. The problem is that most times, you are not sure what the issues are and don’t know if the provided documents really satisfy your issues – or worse, raise more issues. This is the central problem with legal self-help.
I am not suggesting that self-help legal sites are evil or should be avoided. On the contrary, if you know exactly what you need, know the surrounding issues and know how to use the appropriate documentation, these sites offer a very convenient and inexpensive solution. However, for the majority of situations, I believe the insight of a skilled attorney can help flush out what the real issues are and how to solve them. Moreover, if something is done incorrectly in the beginning, it is typically far more expensive and complicated to fix later.
So, go to the legal self-help sites when you know exactly what you want and how to do it. However, if you have any uncertainty or question make sure you seek advice from a competent attorney. The time and money spent will be a good investment in your future.