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Pros, cons of going online for legal advice

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    Tips from Consumer Reports executive editor Greg Daugherty

  • Duration 3:49
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I -- your -- on it who is in tough economic times mean serious belt tightening for so many Americans.

People are even stretching their dollars when it comes to their legal needs from preparing a will to fighting a foreclosure.

To filing a wrongful termination -- Internet does offer less expensive options for legal services.

And advice in today's take charge consumer protection segment -- a look at whether or not going online can really save you a trip.

To a lawyer's office to help us do that consumer reports.

Executive editor Greg -- You -- consumer reports didn't thank you for doing this he took a really close look at some of these online legal web sites.

Does it matter what the issue is that you need help -- does it work better in some instances and others scratch and well you are.

Writing was that it can work up pretty well for very simple cases -- -- might not need to consult a lawyer.

But if your life you know as any complications to it as most of relies do you probably.

Do want to consult a lawyer -- you might wanna do one of these software packages first and then take it to the lawyer that could save you some time and maybe some money.

I would imagine especially preparing -- will putting your documents together for something like that.

Forming a corporation.

-- -- your impression though generally it.

In terms of confidence to the web sites vary among each other what they offer and -- do they take into consideration what state you live and.

Well they do take it consider its -- -- -- state you live in but not always the county which in the and that can be a problem in some cases.

I think the general thing to point out though is that you know in terms of preparing your will of this if this is all you do it's better than nothing and we know that between fifty and 60% of Americans.

Don't have a well at all in -- will is really important especially if you have minor children.

Because that's where you name the guardians and some other things so you know people really do need -- will this is the only thing they can afford.

Then this is you know worth doing is it affordable.

Well the service is the online services are eight to twenty dollars a month the software packages forty to fifty dollars and it's an additional -- on.

To that so yes it's it's more affordable probably even been consulting a lawyer.

I'm certainly not looking to put my fellow lawyers out of business a lot of people do a great job in law offices tending to some of these needs.

But are there real lawyers behind these web -- who did you find -- -- working.

-- to put the materials together that you can find online.

Well they are put together professionally the and they often have -- lawyer real you know human lawyers you can consult for an additional -- So yes there are lawyers behind the problem is that you know trying to make something like this simple for the person purposes of the software and online questionnaire you fill out.

You know they necessarily can't -- and all the things that you know that a lawyer pursuing their face to face talking about your life.

Might come up where -- so you know they they strike a compromise between you know the limits of the software and the unity of the legal knowledge they bring to it.

You just did this study looking at these this month so folks can check out consumer reports for more information as well.

At how many did you look at and is this a growing industry are we seeing more and more legal assistance web sites.

It is growing and I think it's safe to say they're getting better it's very promising what they're doing we looked at three of them specifically we looked at the no low.

Which has a software package.

Called the -- and -- -- plus.

And we looked at one called the rocket lawyer when called legal zoom and we've recreated these hypothetical families that with various complications in their lives.

And created documents and and submitted them in a blind test too -- law professors across the country you're expert of these things that's that's how we how we did our test.

Oh interesting so loud we can understand how you came to the conclusion she did great to have you here Greg as always.

Good friend of the network -- consumer reports thank you Jamie night.

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