A will is essential in making sure that all of your final wishes are carried out, but there are a lot of myths about wills that cause people to avoid getting them done. Just like life insurance, people do not feel like a will is something that they have to worry about right now. But the one thing life insurance and a will have in common is that when you need them and you do not have them, your family will suffer the consequences.
Perhaps the most significant myth that causes people to avoid getting their wills done is the pressure they put on themselves about what a will represents. The idea of getting a will done is so built-up in the person's mind that they get intimidated by it and avoid doing it.
The best way to handle this type of hesitation is to talk with someone who has had a will done and get details on the process. Once a hesitant person understands how simple it is to have a will done, they will do what they have to do to protect their family.
There are two things people tend to avoid throughout their lives; doing their will and buying their cemetery plot. The prevailing attitude is that taking care of a will is something that is done later in life, and now is not that time.
Life is a fragile thing, and you never know what can happen from day to day. If you suddenly pass away without a will on file, then your family may have to spend money on an attorney to fight for your estate in court. A will is something done to take care of your last wishes, and you never know when you will need it. That is why it is important to take care of getting your will done right now.
This is another powerful myth and significant reason why people avoid having their wills done. If you have property you want to make sure gets distributed in a particular way after you have passed on, then the only way to do that is through a will.
After your estate passes through probate court, control of your possessions could wind up with just about anyone in your family. If you want your family taken care of and your personal interests honored after you have passed away, then a will is the only way to do that.
Your lawyer is the best place to start when it comes time to getting a will put together. Even if your attorney does not handle wills, they will have someone you can talk to that they trust to help you take care of this important part of your estate.
When you spend a lifetime building up an estate and looking after your family, you want to make sure that your estate and your family are properly cared for after you are gone. Instead of hoping that everything goes like you want it to in probate, you should force the situation to go the way you want it to by having your will in place.
A will is something that many people do not want to think about, but it is one of the most important things you can do for your family. A good will is part of good estate planning, but a will can also stand on its own to protect your interests.
Anyone who has a family and/or property of some kind needs to have a will. If you do not have a will, then the state you live in may decide to become the executor of your estate. If you want your final wishes to be acted upon, then you need to let the world know what those wishes are by creating a legal will with your attorney.
Single parents have a tremendous responsibility, and that does not stop when they have passed on. In your will, you can make it clear who you want to have custody of your children and how you want your children cared for. If you are currently caring for a special needs or ailing family member, then your will can outline how you want that care to continue after you are gone.
When someone passes away, their estate goes through the probate process. If there is no will, then the state will start making decisions that the family may or may not agree with. When there is a will, the probate process is sped up considerably and your final wishes will be administered by the official executor of your estate.
One of the direct results of outlining your final wishes is to make sure that your property is distributed the way you want it to be. If you allow the courts to distribute your estate, it could wind up in the hands of people you would never have wanted to benefit from your life's work. But when you outline your preferences in a will, you can make sure that your estate goes only to those who you prefer.
In your will, you can determine how much of your money goes to charity and how much goes to your family. If it is a considerable sum of money, then giving part away to charity can help to lower the estate tax that your family would have to pay on your inheritance. If you allow your estate to go through probate without a will, then none of your charitable interests will benefit from your generosity.
No one can predict the future, which is exactly why you need to take care of your will today. No one is guaranteed to see the sun rise the next morning, and you need to be sure that you have taken proper care of your family if something does happen to you.
If you do not have a will, then now is the time to go get one done by your attorney. If you do have a will, then it is always good to revisit your will once a year to make sure that it reflects your current situation, and applies to all of your current interests.
