Amazon.com Product Description

Save time and money by handling your own basic legal affairs. Packed with documents and correspondence covering a range of useful categories, Family Lawyer 2003 Deluxe Home & Business is an ideal resource for everyday legal concerns. Take advantage of useful documents such as Request to Remove from Direct Marketing List, State Lemon Law Information Request, ID Theft Affidavit, and more. Benefit from hundreds of document possibilities including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, leases, health care directives, and more. Create documents with ease using Family Lawyer's interview format. Learn how to plan your estate with Alpha Teach Yourself Estate Planning in 24 Hours. An assortment of legal resources--The American Bar Association's Family Legal Guide, The Plain-Language Law Dictionary, and informative video clips from Harvard law professor Arthur Miller--answer common legal questions. From planning your estate to handling real estate transactions, enhancing financial security, and more, Family Lawyer 2003 Deluxe Home & Business helps you succeed at navigating and meeting your legal needs. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

For what it's worth...
I'm a financial planner who deals with estate planning issues all the time (though I'm not an attorney). To clarify the two previously posted reviews, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A JOINT WILL.

A will is a document that reflects an individual's desires as to what should happen to their assets when they die, among other things. The person from IL who wrote about joint assets needs to understand that no matter what their wills say, joint assets pass to the surviving owner upon death of the other party.

Lots of people are unclear on this point.

Anyway, I'm coming dangerously close to dispensing advice in a forum not intended for it, and I cannot make any claims pro or con about the software because I've never used it. The original scathing review is not, in and of itself, justified, however.

Correction to Above Review
A software user from IL United States complains that there is no will for a married couple. It is my understanding there is no such thing. Each spouse does their own will. Maybe we need an actual Will & Estates attorney to review this software.

Did not have married w/children will....Don't buy on price
I found this software very cumbersome. You need to establish users before opening any documents for review. I purchased it mainly to draft a will for my husband's and my assets. We are married with children and I wanted a will that addressed our situation. I tried to create a work-around so that the will addressed husband and wife, however the template was not flexible. I could draft a will for me and then a will for my husband. We have joint assets.

After the purchase, I saw a review on Broderbund's 2002 version, and they had an attorney review their documents and they were "loaded" with legal errors. What a waste. At least I didn't spend $40 on it.

I expect that I will spend that ($40) on Quicken's version, after I confirm its contents. A will that addresses dual rights of married couples with children, Quicken Lawyer please tell me you can help! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This comprehensive software helps you minimize legal fees and maximizeproductivity. It offers practical tools to aid in locating documents, whichcan then be used as is, or customized. There are over 3,800 customizableforms and letters, a legal dictionary with more than 2,500 common terms,and a powerful new search engine. The My Favorites folder gives you quickaccess to your most frequently used documents, and quick preview menus helpyou easily find the form or letter you're looking for. Your Smart Attorney Deluxe purchase comes with a free six-month subscription to the SmartOnline.com business center. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not Worth the Price or the convience
This program is not worth the price. It is just a collection of typed legal forms, that are not court approved. You would probably do better with a [less expensive] legal program. Also, the download does not include a serial number and you must call Smart Online, Inc. to get the serial number. Don't bother with this program. It is just a waste of time and money. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Like a will, a living trust lets you safely transfer property to your loved ones upon your death. Yet a living trust has a huge advantage over a will: It lets you avoid probate. For years, people have paid lawyers thousands of dollars to set up these probate-avoiding living trusts. Now, with Living Trust Maker, you can avoid this costly expense.Living Trust Maker makes it easy to set up an individual or shared marital trust, as well as create subtrusts for property left to children or young adults. This powerful program also lets you transfer property to the trust and amend or revoke the trust at any time.With Living Trust Maker you'll have all the information you need to ensure that your trust reflects your needs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Comments on previous review by Ms. King
Let me confess: I work for Nolo, the maker of Living Trust Maker. I just wanted to correct what I see is a misconception in Ms. King's review of the product. Ms.King is technically correct in stating that Living Trust Maker does not include certain documents. However, the documents she cites are not themselves part of a Living Trust. All the documents she notes might be necessary for most people whether or not they need a living trust. I don't want this to be a sales pitch, just an understanding of what a living trust can do, and can't do. Nolo's products are not "one size fits all" -- everyone's case is unique. That is why Nolo produces a number of books, forms, and software to address these needs. You can educate yourself in Nolo's free on-line legal encyclopedia, and informative FAQ's about such issues; then decide for yourself what components of a will or living trust will suit your needs. Nolo does indeed offer those other documents Ms. King mentions. You just may not need all or any or some of them depending on your individual needs. And Nolo always states that if you have any questions about your individual needs, you should seek the advice of a qualified attorney. The Living Trust Maker software does just what it's advertised to do: provide a basic living trust. It does not fall short on this account.

Software Adequate BUT Falls Short
I used other software to draft a Trust several years ago and needed to make changes. The Nolo Software just purchased fell short in documents needed to support a Trust document package. You need a Living Will, Pour Over Will, Durable Power of Attorney and other support documents to help the everyday individual set up a Trust. If this is all there is... it might be better than nothing if you can't afford an attorney and I suggest buying a book to help you cover all of your legal concerns. Doing something to protect your estate is better than doing nothing ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Without a will, the state--not you--determines who inherits your hard-earned money, cares for your minor children, and even administers your estate. Now with Last Wills Made E-Z software, you can safely, easily, and inexpensively prepare your own will. In just a few moments, you can have a legal and enforceable will, allowing you--not the state--to make those important decisions affecting your property and family. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Making it easy
Made E-Z has truly offered a product that makes it easy. Just follow the directions and before you know it you have created a Last Will that is legal. I have used many self help products but this one answers all the needs.

Last Will & Testament Made in Easy Steps
Most people don't know that they need to have a will. If you don't have a will when you die, state law determines what happens to your property. In the absence of a will, a court determines who will care for your young children and their property if the other parent is unavailable or unfit. Most people can draft their own will. You just need to know what you own, whom you care about, and have a good self-help resource to guide you.

For someone like me, this program is written in plain English and come highly recommended. I created my own legal will in half an hour with this easy-to-use software. The publisher also offers other programs like Living Will and Living Trust to help plan my estate and avoid probate. If you don't have a will, get one for yourself and your loved ones.

STAY AWAY
Unless you are brain dead, this software should be avoided at all cost. It is a book on disc and of no value whatsoever. Hard to install and worthless anyhow. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Looking to start a small business? Or do you already own one and want to educate yourself on navigating the legal waters surrounding your establishment or corporation? There's a maze of information and processes involved with small businesses and sometimes it seems that there's no way to view it all in laymen's terms. However, with some time and effort, Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe can help you to learn about business plans, tax forms, promissory notes, security agreements, confidentiality agreements, and much more. Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe will even help you with marketing, domain names, and hiring practices.

Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe is primarily an electronic reference library with books on starting, running, and maintaining small businesses. These books are published by Nolo Press, a company whose primary goal is to assist anyone and everyone in understanding what they need to know about the legal arena. Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe also contains many of the commonly used forms for small business owners.

The books contained in the program are:

• Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business, Sixth Edition by Fred Steingold
• Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business, Second Edition by Fred Steingold
• The Employer's Legal Handbook, Fourth Edition by Fred Steingold
• Tax Savvy for Small Business, Fifth Edition by Frederick W. Daily, Attorney
• How to Write a Business Plan, Fifth Edition by Mike McKeever
• Marketing Without Advertising, Third Edition by Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry
• Domain Names: How to Choose & Protect a Great Name for Your Web Site, Second Edition by Stephen Elias and Patricia Gima

Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe is an upgrade from Nolo's Small Business Pro 4.0 and is not compatible with Quicken Business Lawyer or Quicken Family Lawyer. While a computer program cannot be a substitute for a law degree, Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe could be a powerful tool for a small business owner who is looking for a broader understanding of the necessities and complexities of start-up, growth, and success. --Kendra Hayden ... Read more

Reviews (5)

It contains information, but is it software?
While sold as software, this is a hastily assembled conglomerate of information and some poor (in both content and formating) examples of documents. They have not even bothered to put any dialogs to help the user insert automatically trivial information (names, locations, dates,...) into the documents.

You may want to instead buy a copy of "How to Form Your Own Texas Corporation". The documents appear more complete, better laid out and you get a *book* to hold in your hands!

A good reference guide for typical legal problems.
Nolo offers great guides for specific legal issues related to personal and business use. This guide is a decent tool for users to call upon for typical small business issues. I must warn though, that not all legal questions and problems can be solved using self-help guides. Be realistic in your expectations of the software and it should serve you well.

Not as advertised, simply a watered-down online book
I was, unfortunately, very disappointed in the offerings of this product. I was under the impression that it would have a number of ready-made business forms I could customize for use in my business (contracts, amendments to the corporate charter, etc). That was not the case. This product is more of an online-book with very generic and watered-down information than anything else. If you were thinking of purchasing this product for their "forms," don't.

Lawyer In A Box!
This has been a savior. They should call it, "everything legal you need". I have used the forms for my own buisness (start-up) as well as utilized it at my job. I work for a fortune 500 company, and have been told by our legal department that I have saved them so much time, they rarely if at all have had to make any modifications to the subject matter. All-in-all, it's great if your just starting out, own a small business, or work for a multi-billion dollar corporation, and can't wait for your legal department to come throught on a deadline. Best purchase I've made in some time.

2002 Lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
I own a copy of Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe as well as Quicken Family Lawyer, and I was impressed with both!
Running a small business requires more and more legal forms and contracts every day.
Trouble is that your average attorney knows this, and charges accordingly.
Having compared some of the legal documents generated by my attorney and the same documents generated with these two software packages, I could swear (under oath) that my attorney must be using the same software!
Of course, there are some subtle differences, however, I found it to be considerably less expensive to have my attorney read and make modifications to the documents that I provide, than to have him generate them.
This software may not entirely replace your attorney, but it will come darn close.
I only give it four stars because it's not perfect and like anything else out there, it can be improved upon. ... Read more

Features

• Quickly create and customize your own legal documents -- over 200 templates are available
• Design your own wills, living wills, and living trusts
• Insurance form and codicils aren't a problem anymore -- you can do them yourself now
• Handle your credit and debt reapair needs
• Notes of lending and partnerships

Amazon.com Product Description

Instant Legal Advisor is a four-CD-ROM suite that gives you full control over all your personal and legal documents in one easy-to-access system. Create your own legal documents straight from your personal computer with Deluxe Wills & Trusts and PC Attorney. These two software programs contain more than 400 legal documents that are authorized by all 50 states.

Replace your stacks of paper files with one powerful electronic database--the Personal Record-Keeper--allowing you to organize all your personal information, from medical records and financial documents to insurance policies and wills. The fourth CD-ROM, Webster's New World 1001 Essential Letters, utilizes professionally developed layout and wording templates that reveal how to effectively write important documents with ease. With more than 1,000 formats, you'll find the perfect letter for every situation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definitely not worth the little money
This is the second review I have written for this product. The first one mysteriously disappeared. I'm taking a screen shot of this page for future reference, though.
I purchased this as an adjunct for my law practice. What a waste.
What the reviews don't tell you is that all FOUR CDs contain a total of about 70 MB of substantive material (there are demos that increase the size on some disks). The "Forms" CD has less than 5 MB. You don't get nearly as much as you think you are getting.

Also, the copyrights on several of these programs are from 1996!
The programs themselves are poorly laid out and contain only cursory information on many topics. If you are looking to avoid hiring a lawyer by purchasing this package, forget it. You may get a general idea of the things required for legal transactions, but I wouldn't bet the farm on these forms.
Bottom line is that you get what you pay for - even if you only pay [$$$]. Look for something else.

You get what you pay for . . .
Bought this as a way to save time in my law firm. Definitely not worth the money.
At first it seems appealing that you get FOUR CDs of material. What they don't tell you is that one of the CDs has only 5 MB of information and another has even less substantive information with a bunch of "demo" programs to increase the amount of material on the disk. None of the disks had more than 100 MB on them. In other words, the programs could have all been put on one CD with room to spare.
Also, some of the programs were copyrighted in 1995 - seven years ago - even though the set itself is copyrighted in 2001. Looks like they didn't do much with the programs in six years.
The material itself is light on substance. There is little from a legal standpoint that I found useful. Anyone using these templates would have to add a substantial amount of material to make them useable. The forms I reviewed aren't the "out of the box" quality one could use to solve a problem.
My recommendation is that you avoid this set. For $19.95, you get what you pay for . . . ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Whether you're just getting started in business or you're well on the way to success, get the help you need to keep it legal with Small Business Pro 4 from the saints at Nolo Press. Well known for their simple, plain-English legal advice, Nolo includes herein six of their bestselling business books in searchable online format: Tax Savvy for Small Business, Legal Forms for a Small Business, Starting and Running a Small Business, Employer's Legal Handbook, Marketing Without Advertising, and How to Write a Business Plan. Each covers its subject thoroughly and simply, mapping out legal and financial territory to keep you away from common pitfalls.

Though the interface is intuitive and attractive and the text is searchable and hyperlinked for easy navigation, you'll have to find your own way; there's no virtual teacher to hold your hand. (Beginners should first study the Starting and Running text carefully or consider a more directed guide.) A nice complementary addition to the texts is the Online Small Business Legal Encyclopedia, which defines and places in context any term or concept you find unclear. As with many Nolo titles, the meat of Small Business Pro 4 is the inclusion of the forms and contracts (over 125) to help you put your new knowledge to practical use. Promissory notes, business letters, employment contracts, leases, and more will take care of most of your paperwork needs until you get bought out, and the paper-and-ink Everyday Law Book included will help you cope with our litigious society even when the power's out. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kiplinger's WILLPower offers an easy way to prepare your will and thereby give your family peace of mind. With WILLPower you can create state-specific wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, health care power of attorney, as well as all of the necessary supplemental planning and estate administration documents. The Estate Manager keeps a record of all of your assets, projects your estate's future worth, and estimates taxes owed so you can save money. WILLPower also includes the program Kiplinger's Executor Assistant. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Save Your Valuable Estate $$$ By Not Buying This Junk
This program looks like it was designed in 1973. I go through the rigamarole, and the thing crashes. Every time. This program is totally outdated. I'm on a Mac, OSX.

Used to create will
This product is pretty easy to use. I had no trouble.
Created the will, and saved myself a lot of money.

Crashes constantly
I agree with many of the other reviews here. I have Windows ME and this thing constantly crashes. Obviously not an up to date program. No updates or even a FAQ is available on their website. Save your money and save the headaches.

A Piece of Junk
This program is a piece of junk. Once I input my personal data and click "finish", the program crashes. There is no help and the web technical support function is the usual condescending "reinstall the program and reboot your computer", as if the user is an idiot like the people who designed this program. There is no way to email tech support. Save your money.

If only I didn't own a home...
I have installed and uninstalled this thing five times on my PC. It seems to work fine unless I input something about owned property. Once I do that, it crashes and won't restart. There's NO real help in the program and NO online support. Save yourself $30, many wasted hours, and a big headache by buying something else. ... Read more

Features

• Complete assistance for dealing with lawyers, personal matters, and corporate issues
• Colorful illustrations break up the text and help readers understand clearly
• Get tips on how to win through better negotiation skills
• Maximize your results in the legal & business arenas with this set of negotiation guidelines

Features

• This pack contains over 400 forms for federal and state filing
• Get complete publishing and licensing information
• Also features a complete copyright, patent and trademark course
• The comprehensive law library covers the legal side of fine art, motion pictures, TV, songwriting and trade secrets
• You'll be well-informed on protecting your intellectual property with this incredible new tool!

Amazon.com Product Description

With its tax benefits, financial flexibility, and personal legal protection from business debts, limited liability company (LLC) status offers business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs a safer and more convenient way to do business. Whether you already own a business or are starting a new one, LLCMaker puts all the legal and tax information you need right at your fingertips. You can use it to choose a valid LLC name in your state, generate and file articles of organization with your secretary of state, prepare an operating agreement that details the legal rights and responsibilities of LLC members and managers, and choose important tax options that qualify your LLC for partnership tax treatment. The program also allows you to maintain an electronic archive of all member and manager information, as well as your forms and minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Helpful, Easy to use
We used this to set up our LLC & found it very easy to use & follow. We were able to set up all our necessary legal documents with this program. We had a lawyer & our accountant review the documents we created & they said it was perfect.

Great Help in Creating Your Own LLC
This is the way consumer-level legal software should be written. LLC Maker takes you step-by-step through the process of setting up a limited liability company (LLC) in any of the 50 states, plus DC. It asks you a series of questions, you answer, tell it which state, and bingo, you have all the documents you'll need to file with your state's secretary of state. Well worth the price, especially considering you don't have to pay your attorney the couple hundred dollars he or she will charge to do this for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Easily create customized wills, powers of attorney, and other legal documents to help you safeguard your family and assets. Family Lawyer 2002 Deluxe walks you through an interview process, then completes the documents based on your answers to questions. Preview your document for conformity to legal requirements and check for possible errors before printing it directly from the program. With thousands of document possibilities, you can choose from wills, trusts, health, education, real estates, consumer, business documents, and more.

Family Lawyer 2002 Deluxe assists you in determining whether a will or a trust provides the best protection for your family. You can create documents designed to help safeguard your assets, while saving money on legal fees in the process. Video clip answers to commonly asked legal questions are presented from Harvard law professor Arthur Miller (for Microsoft Windows platforms only).

Family Lawyer 2002 Deluxe delivers a robust suite of legal tools to your desktop, including The Plain-Language Law Dictionary, an estate planner, a multimedia legal advisor, and a variety of online resources. It also adds printable electronic reference books, such as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wills and Estates and The American Bar Association's Family Legal Guide.

Note: this program is not meant to substitute for the advice of an attorney. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The description of this item is Misleading
The ad Amazon.com printed for this item includes "real estate" in the description of the forms included. However, according to the box description, there are only trivial worksheets and rental forms included. No real estate sales forms, no buyer offer form, no forms for seller disclosure, lead paint disclosure, or other standard real estate forms. I can't vouch for the rest of the program cuz I returned it unopened when the box arrived. To me, it was worthless.

The description of this item is Misleading
The ad Amazon printed for this item includes "real estate" in the description of the forms included. However, according to the box description, there are only trivial worksheets and rental forms included. No real estate sales forms, no buyer offer form, no forms for seller disclosure, lead paint disclosure, or other standard real estate forms. I can't vouch for the rest of the program cuz I returned it unopened when the box arrived. To me, it was worthless.

This program is a waste of time and money
I wish I could return this software and get a refund! Having just gone through a divorce and trying to keep my business afloat, I figured I could skip my lawyer and do my own revised estate plan. So I went ahead, filled out estate-planning documents and took it to my lawyer for what was suppossed to be an hour's review. Turns out the forms had a lot of legal errors which made them pretty useless. I still can't afford an attorney so I'm trying out the alternatives next.

Simply terrible
I see people comparing Family Lawyer and Quicken Lawyer and get the feeling that Broderbund is doing a bit of "negative marketing" against Quicken.

I've used both, and Quicken Lawyer far and away exceeded Family Lawyer. Family Lawyer doesn't catch mistakes, isn't up to date and provides several useless forms (like "Personal Fact Sheet" and "Letter to School"). Also, information is sparse and generic, often giving me a form and not showing how to use it.

As a do-it-yourself guy, I picked up Family Lawyer and almost gave up because every time I took documents to my attorney to review, he found dozens of mistakes. Only once I started using Quicken did those mistakes disappear. Thanks Quicken!

Good Software
Good software, but I really did not understand why Broderbund put out this and the WillWriter 2002. It appears it had almost the same number of documents and it uses the exact same software. I got the more expensive version, because I thought they would have more choices on how to put the Will together. Unless you need something odd like the 401k document, get the WillWriter 2002 if you are only interested in writing a Will. In my opinion, they should only put out the Family Lawyer set, at the price of the WillWriter. Then I could have given it a fantastic review! Otherwise, see my comments below for the software review (the same I said about the WillWriter 2002).

This was a good program that walks through most simple legal documents. I did the common Will and found it straightforward. The program steps you through questions and allows you to jump around by clicking on any part of the document. There is reasonable flexibility to saving and editing, but it was not always obvious. It is great it was written for both the PC and the Mac (I appreciate companies that will make software that runs on Apple computers) and it was easy to install and run, which is a real plus, but it still appeared to be written by a "windoze" programmer. The odd thing was they put the menus on a separate bar and did not use the Apple menus bar at the top (by habit I always went to that to save, quit, etc. and it was not there). What I did not like was that you could not see some of the wording on the forms easily. I did not like the need to enter a name and general info before getting started on any topic. However, once you got going it was not that bad and you could import a filled form (i.e. my Will) to another (i.e., my wife's Will), keeping all the common information. You do get an option to edit the file as text, but they really caution against that because you might mess up the "legal wording and format". It will do rich text format and you can edit that in Word or another text editor. I was hoping for a few varied examples of things done in a Will to "pick and choose from," or other suggestions/alternatives, but there was none. It seems like all the software and Internet help says "do it this way" or get a lawyer! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Employment Law Made E-Z is a handy reference for both employers andemployees with questions about hiring, firing, wages and benefits, privacy,discrimination, workers' compensation, unions, unemployment, and hundredsof other important issues. You will have at your fingertips the importantlegal points every employer and employee must know, explained in clear,direct language. You will be enabled to handle workplace issues withconfidence and clarity, including recruiting and hiring notices, job reviewreports, interview and application forms, requests for references,background checks and pre-employment testing, non-disclosure agreements,workplace discrimination reports, and workers' compensation reports.

The 19 legal forms in this program include the following: Accident Report,Agreement with Sales Representative, Authorization to Release Information,Consent for Drug/Alcohol Screen Testing, Employee Agreement and HandbookAcknowledgement, Employee Exit Interview, Employment Application, GrievanceForm, Independent Contractor's Agreement, Job Applicant Rating, JobDescription, New Employee Orientation Checklist, Notice of AvailablePosition, Notice of Dismissal, Request to Inspect Personnel File, SexualHarassment Complaint Form, Sexual Harassment Questionnaire, and StandardEvaluation. Please note that while the forms and documents in this productgenerally conform to the legal requirements of all states, it may benecessary to obtain specific forms from your local jurisdiction. ... Read more

Features

• Perfect Attorney is the legal program that helps you create legally-binding documents in all 50 states
• Just use the search tool to find the exact document you need and customize it to suit your specific needs
• Numerous categories to choose from -legal emergencies, credit repair, wills and trusts, divorce, custody, corporate trademarks, taxes and much more
• Step-by-step guide to selecting attorneys, dealing with disputes, handling legal errors and more
• Perfect Accountant Platinum is simplified accounting for the small businessman in a hurry