Stupid Lawyers

Thanks to Google Alerts I got to read this forum exchange: drafting documents yourself. valid?. My subject line says what I took away from this short exchange.

I have written before on here about using online or computerized legal forms. They area fact of life that lawyers needs to start acknowledging and get our heads out of the sand.

Lat night, I ran across the Funded Founders Institute and its agreements page. I am still puzzling over this one, but for the lawyers reading this I think the point is their sophistication. Which might even cause more problems for consumers.

The general public will use online forms because they see a way of saving money. The general public needs educating that with these forms you get what you pay for. If you do not use them correctly, then you have a good shot at paying a whole lot more to get the problems corrected than what you spent to create the problem.

I have no problem if a client uses an online form as a draft that they want me to review and tweak. Here lies their true worth: they get the client thinking about the subject (cohabitation agreements, prenuptial agreements, power of attorney, etc.) and that can be the hardest part in any conversation about the subject (cohabitation agreements, prenuptial agreements, power of attorney, etc.).

So, people, use them but get a lawyer to review what you are doing. Yes, you will save money and maybe even more than you think.