While it can be upsetting and something most people don’t like to think about, it’s important to consider preparing a will. It’s wise to consider a comprehensive estate plan that includes a will, which can provide you with an enforceable plan to distribute your assets. To ensure it’s legally enforceable and based on the ever-changing CT estate planning laws, it’s important to consult an experienced Waterbury wills lawyer.
The Main Components of a Valid, Legally-Enforceable Will in Waterbury
A will is a formal legal document that details how your assets should be distributed after you have passed. It also usually includes information about who could serve as an executor to carry out your wishes. A will is generally one document that’s part of a comprehensive estate plan.
A will can also include the following information:
- Naming who should become the guardian of your children.
- Discussing who should become the caregiver for your pets.
- Details about any charitable gifts you intended after your death.
For most people, deciding on beneficiaries and inheritors is simple, but deciding about guardians and pet caregivers can be complicated and require extensive discussions with other potentially involved parties. An experienced local attorney can help address certain implications of choosing certain individuals and can help avoid certain unnecessary complications with these decisions.
When creating an estate plan, it’s crucial to draft a document that’s legally enforceable, and that’s based on your unique wishes. If a will isn’t valid and enforceable, the estate assets might not pass to the intended recipients, and certain estate assets might not be divided according to your wishes. As such, it’s important to consult an experienced attorney to help develop a valid and legally-enforceable will that complies with state law.
Whether the best option for you is a comprehensive will, the establishment of trusts or other estate planning solutions, we will find a solution that fits your needs.
Assessing the Value of Your Estate
It’s helpful to consider the full value of your estate. Your assets can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Business ownership
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Retirement accounts and policies
- Real estate
- Annuities
- Health saving accounts
- Life insurance
- Vehicles
- Collectibles and artwork
- And more
It’s important to consider your entire list of possible assets so you can determine the total value of your estate. Especially if you’re considering preparing a will, you can provide this list to an experienced estate planning attorney who can help update the list if any assets, heirs, or legal beneficiaries change over time.
Some Potential Benefits of a Will
Without a will, your assets might be given out in ways you never imagined. When you create a will based on your own wishes and financial goals, you can distribute assets in the way you anticipated. Specifically, a lawful will can:
- Allow for a smooth transition of your estate.
- Save your loved one’s time and effort versus having to go to court.
- Provide peace of mind that everyone honors your wishes.
- Streamline probate, if any issues appear after your death.
- Possibly reduce estate taxes, especially if you have a substantial estate to consider.
- Appoint a guardian for your children.
- Choose your own executor to administer your estate.
- Allow for updates if circumstances change.
- Address disinheritance, if needed.
- Detail specific gifts and donations.
With your wishes clearly expressed in a written will, you can feel confident you have a clear expression of your goals for your estate. To ensure you have a legally-enforceable will, it’s wise to consult an experienced Westbury attorney.
Reasons to Consult a Waterbury Attorney Experienced With Drafting Enforceable Wills
A well-informed attorney can discuss your goals for preparing a will based on CT laws and can ensure it complies with relevant will requirements. An attorney can help:
- Navigate the legal complexities to ensure your will complies with state law concerning estate planning generally.
- Avoid making common mistakes that might make a will invalid and cause substantial complications.
- Use their experience to help draft a will that addresses your wishes for your estate.
- Answer any questions you have about estate plans or wills.
- Explain how any plan you might be considering could potentially impact your estate planning goals.
- Update your will if any information changes.
A lawyer can provide legal assistance during the process of drafting a valid will as part of your overall estate plan.
If you have substantial concerns about the process of setting up your estate plan, it’s helpful to consult a seasoned attorney. They can help explain complicated inheritance and estate laws.
They can tailor their advice specific to your situation, which is especially important if you have a substantial or complicated situation including any complex business assets, special guardianship concerns, medical care needs, or non-family heirs who might receive an inheritance. An experienced attorney can help explore all possible estate planning options.
Meet To Sign and Legally Execute Your Documents
Once you’ve selected the attorney to handle your estate planning and they’ve addressed all your concerns, you can select your beneficiaries and estate executor. Then, you can meet with your retained attorney who can prepare your estate planning documents. They’ll compile everything based on your prior discussions about your estate planning goals and double-check they comply with CT laws.
Your attorney can finalize your documents and provide you with time to review everything. You can review each document page by page and discuss any needed changes with your attorney. Then you typically sign, or legally execute, the estate planning documents. They can make sure your executed documents comply with all rules, which is important because documents that aren’t properly executed are often invalid.
It’s useful to keep your executed estate plan documents somewhere safe and plan to reassess your plan if you experience any major life changes. Conducting periodic reviews can help avoid any complex situations if you didn’t adjust your documents based on changes like births, marriages, new jobs, new home purchases, bankruptcy, etc. Any major life event typically should result in an examination of your current estate plan.
Consult an Experienced Waterbury Attorney Today
A Waterbury attorney can discuss their experience with estate plans and help navigate your specific estate planning goals and issues. They can create a customized estate plan based on your unique situation both personally and financially.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Seasoned Waterbury estate planning attorneys who can prepare a legally valid and enforceable will typically charge clients based on different types of attorney fee structures, which usually depend on their level of experience and the complexity of the will. Generally, experienced attorneys and complicated wills typically cost more.
If you’re considering a specific Waterbury attorney for your will, you can schedule an initial consultation to ask about their experience drafting wills and about their written fee agreement.
A: There are some important questions to ask a Waterbury attorney you’re considering for your will preparation, including:
- What’s your experience level preparing wills?
- What’s your approach to any revisions or updates?
- What’s your specific fee structure/anticipated costs?
- What’s the time frame for preparing my will?
- Who might I typically communicate with?
An experienced Waterbury attorney should provide straightforward answers and confidence they can prepare a valid will that meets your estate planning goals.
A: To ensure your will is valid and legally enforceable, it’s important to consult an experienced Waterbury estate planning attorney familiar with the CT requirements for preparing a will. Once you’re ready for their help, they can prepare the will and can later work with you to make any needed modifications. An experienced Waterbury estate planning attorney can answer any other questions you have about the estate planning process or about wills in general.
A: While it’s technically possible to draft your own will without the help of a lawyer in Waterbury, it’s not advisable. An attorney can use their experience preparing wills and estate plans in general to ensure you’ve met the requirements of state law and have satisfied the complicated always-changing estate planning rules.
An attorney can provide reliable legal advice for preparing your will and offer legal help specific to your unique asset protection wishes.
A: For a Waterbury will to be considered valid and legally enforceable, it must meet requirements, including:
- The person preparing the will must be at least 18 and of sound mind.
- It must be in writing and signed.
- Two witnesses (who won’t benefit from the will) must sign the will.
If you have other questions about will validity and enforcement, it’s critical to speak with a trusted Waterbury estate planning attorney.
Contact Trusted Waterbury Attorneys for Your Will Preparation Right Away
Hiring an experienced attorney can help create legally valid wills and estate planning documents. It’s helpful to seek legal guidance in order to help anyone contemplating their final financial legacy.
At Burns Thomas, LLC, we can prepare a valid and enforceable will as part of a comprehensive estate plan. We can listen to your planning goals and create a unique estate planning solution to meet your unique needs. Contact our office to schedule an initial consultation right away.
Contact our firm today to learn more about how our
New Haven County estate planning lawyers can help you.
