Why You Need a Will

    It is important for everyone to sign a Last Will and Testament during his or her lifetime.  It is what dictates the distribution of a person’s property when death occurs.  There is no certain form of wording needed for a will.  All you have to do is get signed, have two witnesses acknowledge that you signed on that date, and have it notarized.  All of your possessions and finances will be taken care of if you can complete this simple process. 

    A Will makes the process of probate much easier.  The purpose of probate is to collect a deceased person’s assets; pay his or her claims, taxes, and administrative expenses from those assets; and distribute the remainder of the assets after administrative expenses to the beneficiaries entitled to receive them.  You will designate someone you know well as your personal representative when you sign the document.  By outlining how you want your assets to be distributed, how you want your expenses to be handled, and how you want everything else to be distributed, life will be much easier.  Your personal representative won’t get into any arguments with your other family members or friends, and won’t have any conflicts with the attorney handling the process of your probate. 

   If you become unsatisfied with the Will prepared for you, you can always change it.  Any article or section of a Will may be revoked and changed by codicil.  You are free to change this document as often as you like, and can revoke it at any time.  It does not make sense for you to go through life without having a Last Will and Testament.  It will only make matters worse for your family and friends when the time for probate comes.