Why You Need a Will
WHY YOU NEED A WILL
Article by Cinthia Singleton
Photo Credit: Ready Gypset Go
Magazine: Issue #41
Write a will.
You think it doesn’t matter, but it does to those you leave behind. Kin, neighbors and/or friends will be left to sift through the rubble, symbolic or real. If you’ve not said who should get what and what they should do with it, the State will step in, sure, but who wants that, it all possibly sitting in probate where it can’t help a soul?
Write a will.
An attorney has been trained to read the game board box. They know the laws of the land and the legal language required by it ESPECIALLY IF THE ESTATE IS A COMPLICATED ONE. There are also templates online one can use to draft a will. A lawyer would recommend you go through the template, input the information, then bring that to them but many a person has made their wishes known with only a pen, legal pad and notary public. Either way…
Wirte a will.
A will covers many things including:
1 :: Who will be your executor, the person who will carry out your instructions? This can be anyone from a spouse to a capable friend but who will be the most trustworthy and respectful throughout this tough job?
2 :: Who are your heirs, the people who would inherit your assets and possessions? If this isn’t clear, the options might be: the state, a blood relative you haven’t seen in decades, a charity that doesn’t really resonate you as much as another, the dumpster.
3 :: Are there special instructions you’d like followed? Sis gets the bone china. BFF gets all your Manolo Blahniks. You want your alma mater to receive a little something for the scholarship fund. Do you prefer a partner get the summer house rather than your blood family?
4 :: If there are minor or dependent children, who will be their guardians? The court will appoint one if you do not. Just remember to have the conversation with this person first. Same goes for those pets. The neighbor who’s the macaw’s bestie may have joked joked repeatedly, “If anything ever happens to you…” but make sure they’re on deck for such a responsibility. lol
5 :: Where do possessions and assets go (the money, IRAs, jewelry, property, car, the artwork, the business etc.)? First assess what you have and make a list with account #s.
6 :: End of life decisions are important to cover as well. Who will have Power of Attorney to speak for you when you cannot? Some want to donate their organs to science. Many do not want to be resuscitated. There are burial plan options to decide upon. Put pen to page and…
Write a will.
The hardest part is thinking about it. It seems to many to be saying, “I quit, Universe. Take me now.” That’s not the case. Nothing bad will happen just because a last will and testament sits in the top drawer of your desk. It’s a legal tool to enable YOU to give power to those you feel can handle it. One of the greatest gifts one can give another, besides love, is the time it takes to liquidate the estate, keep the secrets and tell the stories; help them by laying out your wishes.
Write a will. Write a will. Write a will.
Then live like there’s no tomorrow. : )
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.— Benjamin Franklin
