That $200 legal zoom will was a disaster waiting to happen

My buddy bragged about saving money with one of those online will kits. I was all for it until his landlord found the thing and it had the wrong notary signature line. The court clerk in Cook County literally laughed when I asked about filing it. Turns out Illinois has specific rules about witness signatures that the template ignored completely. Cost him $800 to fix it with a real lawyer in Wicker Park. Anyone else run into fake savings with those DIY legal sites?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessaperry4h ago

My cousin did a LegalZoom will back in 2019 and had the exact same notary mess in DuPage County. I ended up sitting him down with a paralegal friend who charged us $150 flat to handwrite the whole thing on proper Illinois forms. Bought him peace of mind for way less than a full lawyer would have cost.

maxl934h ago

Is it just me or does this kind of stuff happen way more often with these online legal services? I've heard so many stories where people think they're saving money but end up with a headache over some tiny technicality like notary dates or weird state specific wording. It's like they're built for a perfect world where nothing goes wrong, but real life is full of little rule quirks. Meanwhile, a local paralegal who knows the county clerks by name can spot issues from a mile away. That $150 probably paid for itself in stress avoidance alone.