How to Write Your Own Will To Protect Your Family
If you have any property
at all or have any children that will need care if you were to die tomorrow, it
is essential that you have a will. Without one, the state may distribute your
estate according to its own guidelines as opposed to your own. The good news it
that there are many tools and resources available to those who want to create
their own will either on its own or as part of a comprehensive estate plan.
How to Write Your Own Will
Preparing your own will
with an online kit is much easier. The use of online will preparation software
or blank will template forms that you can download to your computer can help
you create a legal document in a matter of a few days. Forms and templates
provide prompts or other useful tips that ensure that your will is coherent and
easy to follow.
Computer software may make the process even more straightforward by asking a variety of questions about your estate. For instance,
it may ask whether you have any kids, any retirement accounts or anything else
that you may want to protect or transfer after you pass on. From there, the
software will actually make the will for you.
What to Include in Your Will and Testament
There are many items that
you will want to include in your online will to ensure that it meets your needs
and can survive a legal challenge. While there is no specific language that you
have to use, it may be a good idea to spell out in clear language how you wish
to pay creditors after you pass, how to provide for pets as well as who is to
be the guardian of any minor children you may have.
If you have children with
special needs or have any other types of special requests, make sure that they
are included in the document. Otherwise, these decisions may be left up to
family members or the state. To ensure that your wishes are met, it may be
worthwhile to name additional guardians for your children or executors of your
estate in case the primary one dies or is unwilling to fulfill the role in the
future.
What's Makes a Legal Will?
There are a few steps that you need to take after creating an online will to ensure that it is considered a valid and legal document. The
most important step is ensuring that two adults of sound mind both sign it. It
is important to note that they do not need to review or otherwise know what
your will contains.
All they need to know is
that it is your will and was created while you were of sound mind and not under
duress. In addition to having witnesses sign it, make sure that you sign it
yourself and keep a copy of it in a safe place where it can be located after
you pass. If you make any changes to your will, make sure that they are
notarized and attached to the rest of the document. These are three of the most
important things that you can do as the will could be considered invalid if any
of these steps are not taken.
Should a Lawyer Help You With Preparing a Will?
One of the advantages of
preparing your own will online is that you save the time and expense of working
with a lawyer. However, if you have any questions or feel like you can't meet
the legal requirements for creating a valid document on your own, it doesn't
hurt to consult with an attorney. In fact, if you know what you want it to say
and what it should include, it may be possible to create the document and
complete your estate plan in one visit at minimal expense.
At its core, a will is
nothing more than an individual expressing what she would like done with her assets at death. Therefore, it
can be as simple or complex as you want it to be as long as it can be
established that it was created by someone of sound mind and free will.
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