Why Google Is Not Your Friend When It Comes to Estate Planning
Let me paint you a picture.
You wake up one morning and think, “You know, I really should get my estate plan done.” You’ve been putting it off for months, maybe even years. But today feels different. Today, you’re ready to start taking it seriously. So, like most people in 2025, you open your laptop, type “estate planning in Massachusetts” into Google, and start reading. Article after article. Forums. Reddit threads. Checklists. You fall headfirst into the estate planning rabbit hole.
An hour goes by. Then two. And by the time you close your browser, you’re more confused than when you started. But you tell yourself it was productive. You were “researching,” right?
Wrong. You weren’t planning. You were procrastinating, and fooling yourself into thinking you were making progress.
I’ve seen this cycle play out hundreds of times over my 25 years in practice. And every time I do, it frustrates me, not because I want to rush anyone, but because I know what’s at stake. I know what happens to families who wait too long, or worse, rely on the wrong information and get lulled into a false sense of security.
That’s why I’m here to tell you, as bluntly as possible:
Google is not your friend when it comes to estate planning.
Googling Isn’t Planning, It’s Just Dressed-Up Procrastination
Let’s call this what it is. For most people, Googling legal questions isn’t about gaining clarity. It’s a delay tactic that feels productive but gets you no closer to protecting your family. You’re still in the same place you were before you started: with no plan, no documents, and no protection. The only difference is now you’ve got 17 open tabs and a headache.
I’ve had clients come into my office, sit through a 90-minute Strategic Planning Session, hear personalized, strategic advice tailored to their family, and then say, “I need to go home and think about it.” What they really mean is, “I’m going to go home and keep Googling to see if I can poke holes in what you told me.”
To me, that’s an insult. I don’t say that to be dramatic, I say it because it tells me they don’t really trust me. And if you’re hiring a professional, but you don’t trust them enough to follow their advice… then what are we doing here?
Your Family Isn’t a Template, and Google Doesn’t Know Them
One of the biggest problems with internet-based “advice” is that it’s generic. Your family? Not so much. You might be in a second marriage. You might have a child with special needs. You might own rental property or a family business. Or maybe you’re trying to protect your home from long-term care costs down the line.
Google doesn’t know that.
It can’t look you in the eye and ask about your goals. It doesn’t know the values you want to pass on to your kids, or the sibling you don’t trust to manage your estate, or the fact that one of your adult children is terrible with money. But a good estate planning attorney does ask those questions because that’s where the real planning begins. Without that context, all the Google answers in the world are about as helpful as a horoscope.
Much of What You’ll Find Online Is Flat-Out Wrong (Especially in Massachusetts)
Let’s talk legal specifics. Estate planning laws are different in every state. What works in Texas or Florida or California doesn’t necessarily work here in Massachusetts. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve seen who downloaded a will template online, some generic form from a big-name legal site, and thought they were all set. Until someone died. Then the problems started.
Massachusetts has its own estate tax. Its own rules for probate. Its own regulations around Medicaid and long-term care. You can’t plan effectively here using a document designed for some other state. One small mistake can derail everything and cost your family thousands.
DIY Estate Planning Isn’t Just Risky, It’s Reckless
I get it. The DIY stuff looks cheap. The websites promise fast, easy, no-lawyer-required solutions. But let me ask you this:
Would you rebuild your car’s brakes based on a blog post?
Would you diagnose your kid’s illness from a Reddit forum?
Would you handle your own IRS audit after watching a YouTube video?
Of course not. Because you know that when it comes to your health, your finances, or your safety, you hire a professional. Estate planning is no different. You’re not just filling out a form, you’re building a legal structure that has to hold up in court, stand the test of time, and protect your loved ones when they’re grieving and vulnerable.
You don’t get a second shot at getting it right.
Trust the Professionals You Hire, Or Don’t Hire Them at All
Here’s what really gets me: People will hire a plumber and not question a single thing. They’ll bring their car to a mechanic and pay whatever it costs. They’ll see a doctor and follow the instructions. But when it comes to legal planning, suddenly everyone wants to fact-check their attorney with Google. I don’t say this to be arrogant. I say it because it’s disrespectful to the profession. When you hire someone with decades of experience and a deep understanding of the law, your job is to let them do what they do best.
And if you don’t trust your attorney? Find one you can trust. Just don’t kid yourself into thinking Google is an acceptable substitute.
Final Word: What Will You Do Next?
So now you’ve read the article. You might still have questions. That’s okay. But the worst thing you can do now is open a new tab and go back down the search rabbit hole. Because here’s what I know: Families who plan are protected. Families who keep Googling usually aren’t.
At Monteforte Law, we don’t just hand you documents and send you on your way. We offer a proven, strategic process to guide you through every step, and we stick with you for life. We even offer free seminars to educate you and $500 off your plan for attending one. But we don’t hold that discount forever. We work with people who are ready to get this done. So if you’re ready to move forward, great. If you’re still Googling, I’ll save you some time:
Google won’t give you peace of mind. I will.
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Michael Monteforte, Esq. is the founder of Monteforte Law, P.C., a Massachusetts estate planning and elder law firm focused on wealth preservation, strategic planning, and protecting families across generations.
