Life Event: Write a Will

Everyone needs a will. Some people think that only the rich or those with property need a will. That's not true. If you have kids or pets, you need a will. If you want to leave something to a friend or relative, you need a will. If you want to make your final wishes clear, you need a will. Make sure that your wishes are carried out after you're gone by creating a will ASAP and updating it as necessary.

When You Don't Have a Will

• What Happens if You Die Without A Will?
• What happens to Adopted Children if you die without a Will?
• Factors to consider with Non-Marital Children and Inheritance.
• Don't Let the Government Take Your Property when you die without a will.

Drafting the Will

• Learn Will Basics so you can accurately plan how your assets are distributed after you die.
• Use this Estate Planning Checklist to prepare your Will.
• Organize Your Paperwork to begin planning your will and estate.
• What are the different Types of Wills and how are they created?
• Living Wills are a key issue in estate planning. Make sure health issues are covered.
• Life Estates let you enjoy your property when you live, but what happens afterward?
• When and Why You Should Update Your Will.
• Amend Your Will without creating a whole new one.
• What are the Necessary Will Provisions you need to make?
• Who are your Beneficiaries.
• Personal Gifts in Wills: What are your options?
• When You Want to Provide for Your Children, read this.
• Naming Trustees and Executors can be a difficult decision.
• Guidelines for Witnesses to a Will.
• Get the facts about revoking and terminating a will

Power of Attorney

• Find out why you may need to have a Power of Attorney and how to set it up the right way.
• What is a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
• Correctly Interpret the language of a Power of Attorney document.

Will Contests

• What Grounds for Contesting a Will are there?
• Find out the steps needed to Revoke a Will and how it affects the old one.
• How Can I Stop Fights Over What I Leave before they happen?
• What does Of Sound Mind and Testamentary Capacity really mean?
• If you want to Disinherit an Heir from your Will, learn how to do it correctly.

Estate Planning and Property Ownership

• Estate Planning and the Title to Your Property: What you should consider.
• Does Joint Property Need to Go Through Probate?
• What is Partition Action and how does it affect planning your estate?
• Understand how Estate Taxes will affect your beneficiaries.

Trusts

• Estate Planning & Trusts FAQs and Tools