[WSBARP] Providing .doc version of final will to clients?

Sun Aug 16 19:18:58 PDT 2015

Thanks everyone for your help – you confirmed what I thought was right.

Heather Kolbly

From: wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com] On Behalf Of James W. Spencer
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 2:36 PM
To: WSBA Real Property Listserv
Subject: Re: [WSBARP] Providing .doc version of final will to clients?

Listmates:

My rule is to never hand over .docs to clients for the reasons discussed. 

That said, in this circumstance, I may be comfortable providing them a stripped version (no footer with the firm name, and scrubbed of all metadata) with a strongly-worded disclosure that they should always consult with an attorney before making any changes to their documents.

In my humble opinion, when properly-scrubbed of your identifying information and with disclosures, there is little downside to handing the .docs over to a client with which you are no longer going to have a relationship.

My $.02.

James W. Spencer, Esq.

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1700 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100

Seattle, Washington 98101

tel: (206) 420-4567 | fax: (888) 807-0306 | www.spectra-law.com

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From: wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com] On Behalf Of Dalynne Singleton
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 1:35 PM
To: WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: [WSBARP] Providing .doc version of final will to clients?

No way would I provide a .doc version to them.  I think your policy is quite reasonable and if their new attorneys want the .pdf versions, I might not provide those.  They can always buy the Adobe Reader that allows changes to be made in .pdf files…  When I send my draft of estate planning docs to clients, I do so with DRAFT on them in .pdf.  Never a final, non-DRAFT version.

Dalynne Singleton

SingletonLawGD27aR04aP02ZL-Johnson4a_mdm

3215 NW Lowell Street, #161

Silverdale, WA  98383

Phone: 360-329-4079

Fax:     360-443-1259

E-mail:  <mailto:dalynne at singletonlawgroup.net> dalynne at singletonlawgroup.net

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From: wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbarp-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com] On Behalf Of Heather Kolbly
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 1:19 PM
To: WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Cc: WSBA RPPT <wsbarp at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: [WSBARP] Providing .doc version of final will to clients?

Hi All,

I am closing my law practice and I've had several clients ask me for .doc versions of their final Will, powers of attorney and living wills.  They say it's so they can provide it to a new attorney for easier updates to their current documents I drafted for them.  My policy is to only provide PDF copies because it's too easy for clients to make their own updates that may be detrimental to their estate.  Also, I have spent 12 years honing my documents and I consider them proprietary creations of mine that it don't want people I don't know copying.  The clients are not happy with my policy and have given some pretty snippy replies to my reasons for not giving them .dic versions of final wills, etc.

Do any of you provide changeable (.doc) final versions of your legal docs to clients?  Am I maybe being too cautious?  I don't think so, but I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

Heather Kolbly

KOLBLY LAW FIRM, PC

(425) 444-1888

Heather at Kolblylaw.com

Sent from my iPhone

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