Have you ever asked yourself, “What would happen if I die?”. This is not a question about the afterlife, but rather about what would happen to all of your possessions once you pass on. You may wonder about things like:
- Will my family be taken care of?
- Who will get what among my assets and possessions?
- Will there be any problems with them getting my estate once I’m gone?
If these are things that bother you, then hiring a competent lawyer to draft your will is the way to go. This will give you a sense of security and peace of mind knowing that someone will execute your wishes and that your beneficiaries will get what they deserve.
What Can a Lawyer Do?
While some areas may accept handwritten wills, it is always important to ensure that all legalities and formalities of estate transfers are properly documented. This will avoid any inconveniences especially if you want special arrangements with regards to inheritance. By default and in general, all personal assets will be inherited by the deceased spouse or children, but things will definitely be more complicated if you want to divide up assets among different people or give to charity.
Complications may also arise if you own companies that are under partnerships or are a member of a corporation. Having someone that can properly document wills according to your specific wishes is definitely an advantage. In addition, a lawyer will be the one responsible in ensuring that all assets are properly documented and updated so that, once you pass, the executor of the will can irrefutably prove that said assets belong to you and you can distribute them based on your specifications.
A lawyer, while acting as executor, can also assist in setting up a trust fund, especially for those who still have small children. They will also be the one that will inform all beneficiaries as well as any guardians, in the case of orphaned children, of your passing and what they will get out of it.
What to Look for in a Lawyer?
When looking for a lawyer that will draft and execute your will, ensure that you are hiring someone who will work with you long term. Wills and lists of possessions are updated regularly, so make sure that he or she is someone that you will be coordinating with on a regular basis. Also, ensure that he or she is working for a reputable company so that, once your lawyer is no longer able to perform his or her responsibilities to you, then he or she can pass it on to someone else who can.
Lawyers that you hire when drafting and maintaining your will must also be able to provide full services, including but not limited to:
- Drafting your will
- Authenticating, documenting, and storing asset related documents
- Updating your will
- Setting up trust funds (if needed)
- Executing your will
Once you have a will, make sure to update it especially if there are changes in your personal life, such as when having a child or changing in civil status, as well as when there are major possessions and changes in your financial life like buying a car or putting up a business. This way, you can better assess how you would like your assets to be divided once you die.
Having a will is not a morbid idea, but rather it is a guarantee that the people that you care about will be taken care of once you are no longer around. This is something that is very easy to do if you can have a competent lawyer that can create a will that is according to your wishes. From the way that you want to be buried to exactly what and how much a person or entity would get, these are the things that you should think of right now, so that there would be no regrets once you leave the people that you care about behind. We at Stemp Company offer our clients excellent client service that ensures them peace of mind and thorough work.