Wills allow you to name guardians for your pets and children, establish final arrangements for your assets, and determine where your assets will go after your death. They also take effect after your death.

When a trust is financed, it takes effect while you are still living. With a trust, you can avoid probate and have significant influence over the distribution of your assets.

Depending on your specific requirements, it can take between 20 minutes, up to an hour. (after your initial consultation call)

Your will does not legally need to be notarized*. Without a notarization, it will be more difficult to administrate after your passing.
Nowadays, the majority of wills, including trust and wills, are made to be “self-proving.” This facilitates administration after death. Notarization is necessary for a self-proving will. Unless you reside in Louisiana, where getting a notary for your will is a legal must.

While hiring an attorney is not required to draft a will that is legally binding, we do provide our members with that option when they use EstateLegal.com, for an extra cost.

You get unrestricted access to a selected attorney in your state when you choose to include legal support in your will-based estate plan. They can offer you legal counsel, go over any potential tax repercussions of your choices, and go over your paperwork line by line.

Every three to five years, or after reaching any significant life milestone, we advise people to review and/or revise their wills. A few examples of milestones are getting married or remarried, buying a house, having your first child and then children, taking a trip without the kids for the first time, and any family deaths.

It’s simple to update your will, and you don’t even need legal counsel to do so. Creating a codicil, drafting a new Will, or creating a personal property memorandum are the three methods available for revising your Will.

You can draft a will on behalf of another person, yes. Trust & Will simplifies the process, whether it’s for your partner, kid, or a loved one suffering from dementia. But keep in mind that for a Will to be enforceable, the person for whom it is made—referred to as the Testator—must examine and sign it.

Death without a will is referred to as “intestate” death. States have different laws regarding intestate succession, but generally speaking, the court will decide how your assets and debts are divided. Setting priorities for your estate planning will help to guarantee that your desires are carried out as intended.

You are not immune to probate by a will alone. Probate is required for any assets that are not included in a living trust, are not jointly owned, are not payable on death, are titled in the decedent’s sole name, or lack beneficiary designations.