The internet plays a huge role in family and personal life nowadays – from how we run our social lives to the way we watch TV, plan holidays or even find a date. So it’s no surprise that many people look online for their legal needs too, from writing Wills, to using apps designed to ease divorce or separation.
Anything that encourages people to write a Will, or make a divorce more amicable has to be a good thing. However, there are also risks to using online legal solutions.
Take divorce by app. The English and Scottish legal systems around divorce and separation have different rules regarding financial settlements and matrimonial property, for example. Therefore, using an app based on English (or another jurisdiction’s) law to plan a divorce in Scotland could land spouses with strategies completely inappropriate to their own situation.
There are similar limitations to ‘DIY’ or low-cost Wills. They often turn out to be unsuitable for the Scottish legal system; or inadequate for the complexity of modern family life, where people may have children from previous relationships, or may have built up significant assets before a second marriage.
In addition, using a DIY Will can thwart people’s intentions to pass on their estates tax-efficiently, or lead to lengthy disputes or uncertainty. Correcting these situations can be far costlier than asking a solicitor to prepare a properly drafted Will.
The appeal of online law is understandable, as families and individuals try to keep down their legal costs. Doing some homework will certainly be beneficial as you work out what you want to achieve from a Will or a divorce settlement – helping you to ask the right questions, spot potential pitfalls, or identify possible compromises in a difficult situation.
However, law is far from a one-size-fits-all aspect of life. A lawyer can make sure you get advice relevant to your own jurisdiction and your own circumstances.
This may well be cheaper than trying to unravel the mess of a divorce settlement, Will or other family arrangement gone wrong.
