It’s understandable to be confused about the difference between trusts and wills. A trust goes into effect as soon as it is created. On the other hand, a will goes into effect after someone passes on. No matter whether you’re creating a will or trust, it’s understandable to want the help of a professional. With that in mind, you’ll want to consider receiving legal help concerning your will from a lawyer. Considering that, here are five reasons why you’ll want a lawyer by your side while preparing your will.
- Ensuring Your Will Follows the Law
While most people tend to have a lot of freedom in regards to how they create their wills, laws still need to be followed. Yes, there are quite a few laws concerning the rules of a will. Neglecting to follow these laws while preparing your will could place the validity of the entire document in question. For instance, imagine that you’ve made a decision about what to do with multiple properties you own. However, it’s later found out that your requests were unlawful and can’t be carried out. This can place a lot of additional stress on your surviving loved ones during an already emotional time. - Assistance With Excluding Individuals
During the will creation process, you can disinherit an individual. Disinheriting someone from your will ensures that they’re unable to receive anything after you pass away. That being said, it’s best to have a lawyer work on this matter. You’ll want to ensure all work conducted to disinherit someone is done properly. - Protection Against Others Contesting a Will
While you want to imagine the will process going smoothly, there’s never a guarantee that this will happen. Unfortunately, certain family members might feel that they’ve been shorted and want to take action concerning this matter. If this happens, the disgruntled family member might challenge your will. In this event, you’ll want to have a lawyer that handles trusts and wills on your side. A lawyer can provide proof to challenging family members, showing that a will is completely valid. - Dividing Particularly Large Estates
Many people who need assistance creating a will have large estates. Considering that, it can be difficult to divide this estate all on your own. With that mind, you’ll want to consider having a lawyer help divide your estate. This ensures that each person in your will receives their fair share. Having each family member satisfied with the division of your assets helps to avoid any stressful situations. - Providing Information for More Confusing Manners
Certain individuals have wills created later during their lives. Considering that, it’s understandable for senior citizens to be confused about the state of certain properties they own. For example, one person could falsely assume they own properties when they actually share these with other people. Many senior citizens often seek the help of law firms while having their respective wills created. In fact, statistics show that 72% of senior citizens living in the United States have a living will.
In conclusion, it’s wise to have a lawyer on your side while you’re preparing your will. Lawyers handling trusts and wills will be able to help ensure that your will is created properly. It’s wise to begin preparing your will as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we’ll never know what life holds for us. Therefore, having your will prepared and completed can provide you with peace of mind that your family is taken care of after you’ve passed away.