Your will is a very important part of your estate because it dictates how your final wishes are to be carried out. When the probate court authenticates your will, the instructions you have put in that will take precedent over anything anyone else has to say. The importance of your will cannot be overshadowed, but its importance is only one reason why you should always hire a lawyer when drafting your will.
If you are not an attorney, then you have no idea how to properly word a will. When your will is passing through probate court, it could be challenged by anyone who feels they have been wronged. If the wording in your will is not legally clear and definitive, then that could cause your will to be questioned and your final wishes to potentially go ignored. When your will is read, you want to be sure that your intentions are clearly stated in the best possible legal terms.
Writing a will can sound easy to someone who does not understand how the process is supposed to go. A will does not take anything for granted, which means that every detail is spelled out just the way the person wants it. Every detail from how much of your money goes to charity to who will take care of your cat when you pass away needs to be spelled out in your will. An attorney will make sure that there are not details left uncovered and that your will is a comprehensive as possible.
Some states require more than just the signature of the will owner and a witness to make a will official, while other states accept handwritten wills only signed by the will owner as official documents. A properly and legally executed will can stand up in probate court, while a will that is improperly executed can be easily challenged and declared void. To protect your interests, you need to make sure that your will is properly executed, and that is what an attorney can do for you.
If your life includes multiple marriages, multiple children through multiple marriages, or any other events that would make your life complicated to a probate court, then you need an attorney to draft your will. Past relationships are only some of the obstacles that can pop up when your will hits probate court, and an improperly worded will can cause confusion in the courts and among your family members. A professional attorney will know exactly how to handle your past and how to construct a will that meets all of your personal criteria.
The drafting of a will is not something that should be done off-hand or through a do-it-yourself kit found online. A will is a serious and important legal document that should be treated with respect and given full attention. When you draft your will, it should be done by a professional attorney to make sure it is done right and all of your final instructions are clearly stated for the probate court to read.
