Legal advice is just a click away with new CD-ROM

In this story:

• Where there's a will, there's a way
• Consumer tips, pre-marital guidance
• Related sites

From Correspondent Brian Nelson

(CNN) -- Whether it's getting married, buying a car, accepting a job or writing a will, a little knowledge about the law can be a big help. At $49, a new CD-ROM called Quicken Family Lawyer provides legal advice for less than the hourly rate of a top-notch attorney.

The program comes from Parsons Technology, makers of Quicken financial software, and is divided into five sections: Introduction, Document Suggestions, Create Documents, Tour and Ask the Expert.

At the start, Quicken Family Lawyer wants to know more about you. Your answers to the program's questions help it suggest any legal documents that might be needed to safeguard you and your family -- and your business, if you have one.

Where there's a will, there's a way

Preparing a will, possibly the most common legal step people forget to take, is as easy as filling out an on-screen form as you decide who gets what. The program also helps ensure that the do-it-yourself will also conforms to your state's probate laws.

If you're ever confused, simply consult the help box appearing alongside your work area.

When finished, you'll have an impressive-looking document, garnished with all the appropriate legal mumbo-jumbo to rank you with the Rockefellers, even if your estate is small by comparison.

Just have it signed by two witnesses, and you have a valid will.

Consumer tips, pre-marital guidance

Quicken Family Lawyer also provides guidance on estate planning, power of attorney, pre-marital agreements and how to write an effective complaint letter.

The step-by-step instructions also:

• Help entrepreneurs write a confidentiality agreement that protects new business ideas.

• Offer business owners a letter to confirm a new hire.

• Give employees a letter to send when accepting a job.

But Quicken Family Lawyer doesn't just tell you what to do -- a legal expert also appears on the computer screen to explain why.

 

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Parsons Technology Online
  • Quicken Family Lawyer

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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