How We’re Different from LegalZoom™
We know that legal document services like LegalZoom™ are the major players in purchasing wills online. But we believe these websites lack a very important piece of the estate planning puzzle: the endorsement of actual attorneys during the review process and the continued backing of an actual law firm while the will remains valid.
Here are claims and statements made by LegalZoom™ and our thoughts on what makes Smarter Will™ different.
| LegalZoom™ Says | Why Smarter Will is Different |
| “At no time do we review your answers for legal sufficiency, draw legal conclusions, provide legal advice or apply the law to the facts of your particular situation.” | LegalZoom™’s “legal review” only reviews for things like spelling errors. Our attorney-review process goes deeper. If our attorneys spot insufficiencies in your Smarter Will document, we’ll bring it to your attention and offer solutions. |
| “LegalZoom™ is not permitted to engage in the practice of law.” | Call us crazy, but this statement seems counterintuitive when you’re purchasing a will or estate planning documents. Smarter Will is powered by actual, established law firms. And, yes, we ARE permitted in the state of Illinois to engage in the practice of law. |
| “‘As an attorney, I have been pleasantly surprised with the ease and efficiency of LegalZoom…’” (Featured quote on LegalZoom.com) | You shouldn’t need a law degree to feel confident about your online will. If you’re not an attorney yourself, it’s wise to have one on your side. That’s what Smarter Will provides. |
| “You don’t need an attorney or a lot of time to create a custom, high-quality will.” | We passionately disagree. Your legal documents should be attorney reviewed to make sure your wishes are clear. But we do agree that you don’t need a lot of time to get it done. |
| “This site is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship… Instead, you are representing yourself in any legal matter you undertake through LegalZoom™’s legal document service.” | With LegalZoom™, you’ll get a will but nothing more. The liability remains on you and your family. We think that’s a problem. When you purchase from Smarter Will, you become a part of our law firm’s community and receive our support. |
| “LegalZoom™ was developed by expert attorneys with experience at the most prestigious law firms in the country.” | While LegalZoom™ was created by attorneys, these attorneys are not reviewing your legal documents or giving you legal advice like our attorneys do for Smarter Will. |
| “LegalZoom™ creates more wills than anyone.” | At Smarter Will, we believe quality trumps quantity when it comes to legal documents. |
*These statements appeared throughout LegalZoom.com as of March 1, 2010. All quoted content is copyright of LegalZoom.com.
