Online Legal Document Sites Bring Potential for Errors

Aug. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- Senior citizens and boomers are quickly becoming one of the largest users of the internet.  With this increased use also come increased opportunities for them to be misled and become victims of fraud.  

One example of fraud has begun to surface in the situation of online legal document sites.  Seniors looking to save on attorney fees and produce a will or other legal document turn to websites such as LegalZoom.  Unfortunately, what is not made prominently clear on their website is that their customer service staff is not licensed attorneys and therefore, cannot provide legal advice or guarantee the enforceability of a document state by state.  

In the case of one such gentleman using this site, his will and trust were not legal binding because the document was not properly witnessed.  This error cost his trust and family thousands of dollars to remedy. (Webster v. LegalZoom, Inc.)

Legal documents should always be produced from a trusted source and reviewed by an attorney if possible.  Most state bar associations offer pro bono legal advice to those that cannot afford assistance.  Seniors need to protect their assets and wishes by ensuring that the documents they sign are able to be upheld.  

Help your clients avoid these costly legal mistakes by making sure they are using a reputable and legitimate attorney and their documents are stored in a safe place that is accessible by another family member.  For a list of elder law attorneys in your area, visit www.csa.us and use the CSA Locator to find a Certified Senior Advisor that is trained to better help your clients with the documents.  

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The Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® designation is issued by the Society of Certified Senior Advisors.  Each individual CSA is held to the rules and guidelines in the CSA Code of Professional Conduct which can be viewed at http://www.csa.us/docs/csa_code.pdf.  SCSA’s Compliance Department works closely with each state and routinely monitors CSAs providing seminars of any kind.  Know your individual state and industry requirements, guidelines and rules regarding use of seminars for the sale of products or services.    

Certified Senior Advisors (CSAs) have supplemented their individual professional licenses, credentials, and education with knowledge about aging and working with seniors. The CSA designation alone does not imply expertise in financial, health or social matters. Please contact the Society of Certified Senior Advisors at (303) 757-2323 or visit www.csa.us if you have any questions.  Follow us at http://twitter.com/SocietyCSA

Contact:
Breann McNeil, SCSA
(888) 538-2599
society@csa.us

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SCSA educates professionals to work more effectively with their senior clients. That means understanding the key health, social & financial factors that are important to seniors — so you can find success in the senior market.