Wills

Do you need a Will? Who will get your property when you die? Who will have guardianship of your children if you become unable to care for them? Will you be kept alive by artificial means or subjected to medical procedures when the only purpose is to prolong the dying process? Who will make decisions to provide for your medical treatment in the event you are unable to speak for yourself? 

There are different types of Wills, also known as the Last Will and Testament, which are written to make your last wishes and desires known to your family and friends following your death. Other types of Wills include Living Wills and Health Directives. A Will may be simple or complex depending on the size of your estate, whether there are minor children, multiple beneficiaries, the need for Trusts, or other unique and special circumstances.

One complication that arises when a person dies without a Will is that the State decides how your property will be divided. While this may be logical, even fair, it may not be what you want. This is even more complicated when a person divorces, remarries, or has children from multiple relationships. Statistics indicate that about half of marriages end in divorce. Often, those divorced get remarried, and frequently there are children of both marriages. If one of the parties dies without a Will, there is a good chance that a large portion of their estate will not go to their children, but to the children of their spouse. 

We think about our death so far as purchasing life insurance to cover our family’s needs in the event we die prematurely, but rarely do we think about the intangible consequences of our death. When we are in good health, we do not think about the possibility that we could become incapacitated, either by accident or illness, and have medical treatment we do not want.