A Last Will And Testament Is Good Enough, Right?
The Reading Of The Will
Will readings. Family gathered around the table, dressed in black, all sitting in a lawyers office while the lawyer reads to the family. That is how Hollywood has projected it and how it works. The decedent signed the document during their life and the family all learn at the same time who got what.
While that can happen in real life, rarely does it occur. More importantly, and the bigger point of this article, this should NOT happen.
A Will As Part of the Estate Plan – Not the Entire Plan
A Last Will And Testament is a proper and necessary document that all people should have. But the Will is only PART of the documents a person should have as part of their estate plan. A Will is the beginning – not the beginning and the end! A Will should be accompanied with Trust, Durable Powers of Attorneys, Health Care Powers of Attorney, Deeds, Conveyances, Bequests and an overall goal to ease administration and ensure the wishes of the deceased are followed, and followed efficiently.
A Will does not avoid probate – it causes probate
A Will alone does not ease the administration of Estates, it only guarantees that there will be a probate estate to administer. The Probate Courts and the Probate Process is a lengthy, time consuming, expensive process that typically takes over a year to complete.
The attached article explains the impact of not having a full estate plan. While a will is a part of the estate plan, it is not the entire plan. Sadly, this lesson comes too late for some, like Mr. Sacks.
Meeting and discussing your estate plan with an attorney experienced in drafting and preparing estate plans is an important first step in ensuring your goals and objectives are met. Contact our office for a free consultation on planning your estate, the proper way.
