Improving Efficiency by Utilizing Technology in Drafting Probate Documents

In his Technology-Probate column, Prob. & Prop., Nov./Dec. 2007, Jason E. Havens explains that:

Drafting systems continue to draw substantial interest from those who have used them and those who want to enhance the drafting process. The inherent dangers of “recycling” estate planning documents and/or of using “find and replace” to update a document should motivate everyone to consider a true system for drafting these technical legal documents. This column covers some of the most popular “expert” drafting systems and updates this editor’s previous reviews of them.

Each expert drafting system provides a relatively complete system. One might offer more options that another, but all of these systems produce most “core” estate planning documents. All of them also use “templates” (reusable answer files) to address many drafting scenarios. The drafter can customize any of these systems but should use caution when doing so because of the possibility of altering the legal effect of any provision and/or the functionality of the drafting system itself. A consultant is recommended for any extensive customization project and is typically more cost-efficient than self-customization.