Online templates for wills and powers of attorney are widely available and inexpensive — sometimes a reasonable starting point, but with real limits solo agers should understand before relying on them entirely.
Where templates tend to be fine
Simple, straightforward situations: a modest estate, clear beneficiaries, no complicated family dynamics or business interests.
Where they get risky specifically for solo agers
- Naming a non-family agent, which some templates don't handle cleanly across every state's requirements
- Coordinating multiple documents (POA, health care proxy, will) so they don't conflict
- State-specific execution requirements (witnesses, notarization) that a generic template may not get exactly right
A reasonable middle path: use a template to clarify your own thinking and gather the details, then have an elder law attorney review or finalize the actual documents.
This article is general information, not legal advice.