A Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Will: Everything to Know

This blog is a short article with the goal of creating a guide to writing a Will.

Crazy misunderstandings happen when wills aren't clear. When the billionaire Howard Marshall died, his will said that his son should get his fortune, but his wife said that this was a mistake. The resulting legal battle went on for so many years that both the son and the wife died before it finished.

Writing a will is one of those things that no one likes to think about. Not only is the subject an unhappy one, but most people aren't legal experts. Read on to learn all the basics you need to know when it comes to writing your will!

What Is a Will?

A will, or a Last will and testament, is just a record of what you want to have done with your property in the event of your death. It doesn't necessarily have to be labeled a will, or be created in any special way. You can record it, write it down, or even in some cases, rely on just telling what you want to your family or legal professionals.

Along with establishing where your property will go, details in wills tell society who you wish to become the guardian of your children. A will touches on all the most important parts of life, so while professional help is not legally required, it may be necessary to make sure that things end up just the way you want them.

What Happens if I Work without an Attorney?

If you like, you can perform a simple Google search to find online wills or how to guides. From a legal perspective, you can even just write it down on a napkin. However, like most aspects of the law, there are complexities that keep most people from understanding how wills work.

If you want to make sure that things are as clear as possible, you might want to find attorneys for preparing wills.

Who Should Be the Executor of the Estate?

The executor of your estate needs to be someone who's extremely trustworthy and also skilled. Families with simple financial affairs will often rely on a trusted family member to manage this. The executor of the Will needs to be good with deadlines, he or she also need to be very organized and willing to work with the other family members involved.

On the other hand, families with complicated financial affairs rely on professionals to help them know where to store wills, how to go about changing their wills, and how to execute them.

If you're somewhere in the middle, you might not be able to tell for sure whether or not you need to name a professional as your executor. It's good to keep in mind that you can always name two people as joint executors. A trusted family member and a legal professional can make an excellent team to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Learn Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Will

We hope you were able to learn what you needed to know about writing a will from this brief review. Most people won't become legal experts in their lives, but everyone needs to make a will at some point. We hope this guide to writing a Will at least help you think about the process and maybe start it.

You can schedule a free consultation by clicking here if you'd like to learn more about how to manage this process or maybe what a living will contains! Or Call Citadel Law Firm today at (480)565-8020 and we will be pleased to help.