If you’re thinking about creating your estate plan on your own, you might want to hit the pause button. While it can be tempting to save a few dollars using an online form or downloadable template, the risks of DIY estate planning often outweigh the short-term savings. A small oversight today could result in major headaches for your loved ones tomorrow.
Let’s take a look at the most common estate planning mistakes people make in Jacksonville—and how to avoid them.
Estate planning isn’t just about having a will. It’s about creating a plan to manage and protect your assets, name people you trust to make decisions on your behalf, and pass on your legacy according to your wishes. In Jacksonville, this plan often includes several legal documents such as a will, a revocable living trust, powers of attorney, and advance directives.
Each document must be carefully crafted and legally valid under Florida law, or else it may not be enforceable when it matters most. That’s where many DIY plans fall short.
Many people assume that having a will is all they need. In reality, a will only goes into effect after death and often leads to probate, which in Florida can be time-consuming and expensive. Jacksonville families are often surprised to learn how much of their estate could be tied up in court for months—or even years—without a trust to avoid probate.
Florida has its own estate laws, and they can differ significantly from other states. A cookie-cutter form you download online likely doesn’t comply with Florida-specific requirements. For example, failing to include a properly executed “residuary clause” could leave out assets acquired after the will was signed—potentially disinheriting intended beneficiaries, as one Florida case showed when the state Supreme Court ruled that an online will was legally insufficient.
Your life isn’t static, and your estate plan shouldn’t be either. Getting married, divorced, welcoming a child, or acquiring new assets are all reasons to revisit your plan. But many DIY plans don’t account for these changes—or make it difficult to update your documents properly. Jacksonville families need estate plans that grow and change with them.
Florida’s estate and creditor laws offer many opportunities for protection—but only if your documents are set up the right way. Without proper guidance, you may miss out on strategies to shield your children’s inheritance from divorce, lawsuits, or financial mismanagement. These aren’t features built into most online tools.
Jacksonville is home to retirees, military families, blended families, and business owners—all of whom face unique estate planning needs. A DIY approach can’t account for the complexities that come with real-life situations. Blended families, for instance, may unintentionally leave children from a previous marriage with nothing if a trust isn’t properly structured.
And if you have minor children, relying solely on a will means the court may appoint a guardian without your input. A well-crafted plan can avoid that entirely and help your children avoid the court system altogether.
Working with an estate planning attorney in Jacksonville means more than just getting the paperwork right. It means having someone in your corner who understands Florida’s laws, keeps up with changes, and ensures your plan reflects your wishes. Schedule a discovery call with Team Legacy and benefit from the care our team takes to listen and educate—making a potentially overwhelming process easy to understand.
Reference: SmartAsset (Jan. 9, 2025) The Dangers of DIY Estate Planning
