Can’t I Just do an Online Will?

In an age of digital convenience, it’s tempting to believe that artificial intelligence and online templates can replace the careful guidance of an experienced lawyer and save you money.

When it comes to estate planning, however, the decisions you make are far too important to leave to automated forms or generic advice.  This is because your estate plan is so much more than a set of documents — it’s a roadmap for the future.

At Penmans, we’ve seen firsthand the problems that arise when people try to “DIY” their Will.

AI tools and online templates operate on one-size-fits-all logic.  They produce documents, but they cannot give advice or understand the nuances of your life — blended families, estrangements, business interests, trusts, superannuation, or property held across different jurisdictions.  Documents are provided, but not advice. 

By contrast, an experienced lawyer can, in consultation with your accountant or financial advisor, integrate all these components into a cohesive strategy which reflects your wishes.

Ultimately AI provides cookie cutter documents that often fail to meet the needs of real people.  Documents are signed and filed away.  Often the next time they are looked at is after the person has died.

Hindsight can indeed be a profound teacher, when it is too late to correct problems.

By working with a lawyer who specialises in estate planning, you ensure your documents are valid and enforceable from the outset, reducing the likelihood of disputes and providing peace of mind for your family.

AI tools can process information, but they can’t understand your values, family relationships, or emotional priorities. Estate planning is deeply personal. A good lawyer doesn’t just draft documents — they guide you through sensitive conversations, help you make clear decisions, and ensure your legacy reflects who you are.

The problem with cookie cutter documents is that you have no way of knowing if they are adequate for your circumstances, or not.

Sometimes it is surprising for clients to learn that they cannot do what they thought. For example, where a property that they see as theirs is actually held in a family trust or SMSF.  That property cannot be gifted in a Will (it must be dealt with in other ways).

The problem with AI is it will only produce documents based on what you tell it. 

And you don’t know, what you don’t know (and neither does AI).

Using AI or online tools might seem quicker or cheaper, but legal matters are one area where professional guidance pays off in certainty, clarity, and peace of mind.