Wasted $300 on a bad will kit and had to start over

I thought I was being smart by buying one of those online legal will kits for $300 last fall. Figured it would save me a ton compared to going to a real lawyer here in Edmonton. But when I actually sat down to fill it out, I got so confused with the legal forms and the instructions were super vague about Alberta's specific rules. I ended up taking it to a lawyer for a quick check and they told me it was so full of holes it wouldn't hold up in court. So now I'm out that $300 and I have to pay another $500 to get a proper will done. Has anyone else tried those cheap online kits and gotten burned?

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morgan3162mo ago

My dad actually used one of those LegalZoom kits a few years back and ended up in the same boat, the lawyer he took it to basically said it was a mess for our province's rules. I ended up just booking a flat fee meeting with a notary in Calgary for like $250 and they walked me through the whole thing step by step, no weird legal jargon. If you're already spending the $500, maybe ask if they can do a simple will package with a power of attorney included, a lot of places around here bundle that for a little extra but it saves headaches later.

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