Why You Can’t Rely on AI to Protect Your Family
When actor Heath Ledger died, his outdated will predated the birth of his daughter, Matilda. So his entire estate was left to his parents, disinheriting his beloved daughter. When rock legend Prince died without a will, his siblings spent the next 6 years fighting, with DNA tests, over 2000 court filings, and a giant estate tax bill to make things messy. Beloved radio host Casey Kasem’s blended family fought publicly for years over his battle with dementia and his healthcare because he did not have an advanced healthcare directive to carry out his own wishes.
Within your own circle of friends and family members, chances are good you know of somebody whose family was torn apart by conflict after a relative died or became incapacitated. In my own family, my mother became incapacitated after she, my brother, and I fell 60 feet down a mountain on a family hiking trip when I was 13. Without a healthcare directive, my father had to make an impossible choice for her: let her die by directing doctors to remove her breathing tube, or let her live as a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. That choice changed the entire trajectory of my life.
We cannot protect ourselves from the risk that tragedy can touch our own families. So, when I see websites and AI tools promising a cheap and easy estate plan with a few clicks, it worries me. Because LegalZoom, RocketLawyer, or ChatGPT can never understand your family or your values when they spit out generic wills or trusts. I understand the appeal of a quick fix. But your family's future is not a problem for a chatbot to solve. Planning for your family’s security requires a human-based understanding of your unique family dynamics.
Before you consider entrusting your life’s work to an algorithm, let's talk about what that really means for the people you love.
1. It Doesn’t Understand Your Family's Story
A computer can’t read between the lines. It doesn't know the quiet tension between two siblings, the specific needs of a child who requires lifelong care, the reasons why a couple would never want their parents to raise their children, or the history behind a treasured family heirloom. I’ve learned that a good plan isn't just about distributing assets; it's about anticipating feelings and preventing future conflict. An AI is blind to the human dynamics that matter most.
2. It Can't Tell if You're Being Pressured
One of my most important jobs is to sit with you, look you in the eye, and make sure the decisions you're making are truly your own and that you’ve considered the real-world consequences for your family if you choose Option A over Option B. An AI platform has no way of knowing if someone has influenced your choices. This opens the door for your plan to be challenged later, creating the very nightmare you were trying to avoid.
3. There's No Human Promise Behind It
When you work with me, I have a professional and ethical duty to put your best interests first. That's my promise to you. An AI company’s primary duty is to its bottom line. It’s a tool, not a trusted guide. When things get complicated, you need an advocate, not a disclaimer buried in the terms of service.
4. Your Life is Not a Template
Cookie-cutter solutions are for cookies, not for families. A generic form can’t account for your unique life—a blended family, an independent business, or specific wishes for how you want to be remembered or how you want your children to be raised. These details are what make your plan yours, and they are often the first things a templated approach gets wrong, or leaves out altogether.
5. It Can't Offer Real Guidance
The most valuable part of this process is the "what if" conversation. What if this happens? What would that mean for my family? We talk through the options, and you make informed choices. An AI is a form-filler. It can't give you wisdom, share insights from years of experience, provide stories that illustrate the decisions you may be grappling with, or provide the peace of mind that comes from true understanding.
6. It Leaves Your Family Alone Later
When the time comes, who will your family call with questions? A tech support number? The relationship we build means I’m here to guide your loved ones through the process, helping them understand your wishes and navigate the path you laid out for them. That continuity is a final, powerful gift to your family.
The goal of estate planning is to create clarity, peace, and security for the people you love. A cheap document generated online often results in the opposite: confusion, conflict, and costly legal messes. Don’t trust your family’s security, your most cherished values and heirlooms, or your human legacy to a computer.
Your legacy deserves a human touch. It deserves a real conversation. That's not to say that I don't rely on technology. In fact, my practice invests in state-of-the-art legal technology designed specifically for attorneys so that you get the best of both worlds: convenient online access to advanced legal expertise and documents designed with your family in mind. As a life transition lawyer, my mission is to guide you through life’s biggest challenges in a way that strengthens and protects your family for generations to come.
