If you care about what happens to your belongings after your death you should consider having a will. A last will and testament is a legally binding document that will assure that your wishes are carried out. You don’t have to own a vast estate or extremely valuable possessions to justify having a will. There are any number of other reasons for the need.
If you have no family and you die intestate, meaning that you have left no will, whatever you leave behind will go to the state in which you resided at the time of your death. If there are surviving family members your assets will be divided among them according to the specific laws that prevail in your state. If you are married for instance, all of your belongings will automatically go to your spouse unless you have children from a previous relationship. In that case half will go to your spouse and half to your children.
State intestacy law only applies to relatives. If you are in a relationship but not officially married your partner will not be eligible to inherit any part of your estate unless the state recognizes domestic partnerships. So, if you can foresee this kind of a problem or if you would rather see part of your estate go to a charity rather than a family member you may want to seriously consider making a will.
Some states acknowledge a handwritten will that you have made out yourself as long as it is signed, dated and witnessed, but there is good reason to have your will drawn up by an experienced estate planning attorney. If you have an extensive estate or if you want to leave certain belongings to specific members of your family, or someone outside of your family circle, it’s best to legally clarify these wishes. An attorney will know the correct wording to use to leave no question as to your intentions.
Talk to the attorneys of the Parker Lawyers firm about estate planning. Call the law offices in Parker @ 303-841-9525.
