Quicken Willmaker Plus 2005 With Free eBook
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend None of us really wants to face the tasks of our own estate planning or writing out our living wills, but sooner or later we all should. If something should happen unexpectedly before we address these issues, our families could be forced to endure serious financial, emotional and even legal hardships. For years Nolo has been providing top-notch "do-it-yourself" legal solutions for consumers on virtually every legal matter imaginable, and in the process… Product details and pricing info |
|---|
5 Customer Reviews Posted
- not user friendly
- The documents are fine, but I found the software to be difficult to use. Even though the software is downloaded to your hard drive, you save each document seperately when it is completed. Very unweildy
- 2006-01-21, 0 of 1 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- It needs to be done, so do it now!
- As another reviewer noted, the Schiavo case brought to light the need to get our affairs in order in a timely matter. This software does the trick. It's straightfoward and easy to use. There's a basic Q&A that gives the user an idea of what forms need to be used, and further Q&A to fill those forms out. It took me very little time (15 - 20 minutes in my case, others will vary) and gave me great peace of mind. You will have to get some forms notorized just in case there could be a dispute, but even a notary plus the cost of this software is a lot cheaper than any lawyer!
It doesn't work in Louisiana because that state organized its laws under the Napoleonic codes, rather than the English commonlaw. I haven't seen similar software developed for that fine state, which is a shame as there is such a need for inexpensive legal help.
I notice that the 2006 version of this product is out; as law changes all of the time it would be worth the extra $ to get the new version. If your budget doesn't extend that far, then this will work pretty well. Whatever you do, do it now. It will save your friends, your family, and you yourself much trouble and grief. This is peace of mind at bargain basement pricing! - 2005-09-17, 13 of 13 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Easy
- I used an old PC with Windows 98. This program was easy and quick. If you have a simple will or trust that is basic then this should save you much time and expense. It asks questions and I was able to make a living trust in about 15 minutes of which 99% of the legal speak is preformatted and has been carefully reviewed. The program gives all of the information on what to do after a will or trust has been made to finalize it. I am very pleased with it and glad I did not pay a lawyer $1000 to type the information into his computer program that does the same thing.
- 2005-08-29, 13 of 13 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Great Product
- We have used all the different documents numerous times. A must have if you have children because of the medical authorization form and child care agreements. I highly recommend this software.
- 2005-08-02, 12 of 13 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Easy to use, saves money, but beyond 2006?
- The recent heart-breaking Terri Schiavo case in Florida highlights the importance for everyone to have a living will as well as a regular will. You can go to a lawyer, buy a standard form from a legal stationery store, or use Willmaker Plus 2005.
This latest estate planning and family law software from Nolo Press is distributed by Quicken. Nolo is a company that has been publishing self-help legal books for many years, and their website provides a wealth of information. (Since I'm not a lawyer, I can't comment if their information is always accurate, but it's at least accessible to laypeople like me.)
Willmaker 2005 is for more than just writing your own will. It has many other legal documents which you can fill in, print out, and sign (in front of a notary public in some cases) to make them legally binding. The estate planning section is pretty comprehensive and works in every state except Louisiana. (I wonder why.) Setting up your legal will and living trust is pretty much a hassle-free, expense-free and lawyer-free process. The other types of documents you can create with this program include responses to those dreaded debt collection notices and filing consumer complaints. This is really a "family lawyer" package. (Quicken used to publish their own family lawyer program but has since replaced it with Nolo's more superior Willmaker.)
The software takes an interview approach. You pick a document you want to work on. It asks you a few questions and then drafts the document for you. You review the document and then print it out and follow the simple steps to make it legally binding. The "simple steps" often just involve you and two witnesses (including a notary public in some cases) signing the document; for simple letters such as a reply to a debt collection letter, you don't need witnesses.
While it would have been a lot nicer if the program could automate things a bit more, e.g., asking who you are and then choosing the documents for you, I guess writing a will or any legal document should not be a totally brainless thing; you have to understand what it's all about and what's involved, since we are talking legally binding documents here. (Of course, you must be mentally valid in order to create a will.)
The program comes with a printed user manual. While the manual is a little confusing and makes using the program look more complex than it actually is, it's nice to have printed documentation which you can refer to readily.
I like the software and, being a paranoid that I am, like doing my will and doing it for free. I can also do the wills for my family.
My only concern about using the software stems from this passage from the second page of the manual:
"Product support (including Web update) for Quicken WillMaker Plus 2005 ends on January 1, 2006. ... Please note that legal documents created and signed before January 1, 2006 will remain legally valid and enforceable if you have used Web Update regularly. You will need to upgrade your software only if you want to create new documents or update existing documents."
Does this mean I'll need to buy a new version each and every year from now on? (I fancy my financial and family situation will change over time and thus require additions and/or amendments.) While upgrading the software still beats a trip to the attorney, it would nonetheless be quite an annoyance.
(In all fairness, both Quicken and Microsoft are moving to a subscription-like model for their financial software, so I guess that's the inevitable trend.)
Happy estate planning! - 2005-02-17, 220 of 223 people found this review helpful, Rated:
