Tonight while watching TV I found one of those online will-making websites and wrote a will and it was quick & easy and not terribly expensive and I’m just telling you this as a reminder that such things are possible if it’s something you haven’t done and have been putting off (like it was for me)!
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Even if these aren't perfect or even good, it's a scary topic and I'm glad she was comfortable broaching it.
Have some empathy, bro.
A quality will helped my family in way that is hard to express.
Now. Is there a site that can remove my philosophical objections to the certainty of my mortality?
&
Done (well except for the signatures)
Yes...very easy & will give me peace of mind.
Power of Attorney ❓
Advanced Medical Directive ❓
The three basic things to make your family’s lives and possibly yours much much easier in an emergency.
And if you do them early, and then create a gazillion different accounts, and, oh, find out you have two kids you didn't know you had, please, please update the documents.
Also, helpful if your named executor does not also have dementia.
So they can close them down in case of death.
Otherwise the executor needs a death certificate.
The power of attorney allows banks to deal with a third party as required to sort things out.
And of course the actual executor of the estate (with the correct paperwork).
Cremation? Funeral? No? Bit of music? Where for the ashes/body after? That stuff.
It's through the Canadian bar association. It was pretty simple and very informative. Learned a lot going through it.
Also, a will doesn't avoid probate, just makes it smoother
Generally speaking, to avoid probate you’ll need to have your currentassets in a trust.
I have a bendeed on my house, but it doesn't require the beneficiary to sign off if I sell my house
Cmon mate! They could see the paper. That's gotta be enuf.
Astounding!
I could never concentrate on what I would write…
I wrote about Australia, but still a good prompt for other countries.
(If you are not in Canada, please check for a site that works for your local jurisdiction.)
The rules vary state-by-state in the US.
I think it would be cool to have Will-witnesses parties. Get friends to write up theirs, then get together for a signing.
I live across the country from family. I finally got my docs witnessed by my sister's sisters-in-law at a holiday get-together.
https://www.uslegalwills.com/
My brother died intestate in 2019 and we still don't have access to all his accounts.
I am a licensed attorney.
Depending on the state, but generally in the U.S., a handwritten will that’s hand dated & signed by testator requires 2 witnesses & a typed will may require up to 4.
These online services are nice for a lot of people, but if you have assets worth $100k+, please talk to a lawyer
You’ve made progress! I hope you can take the next step where we’ve been too lazy to tread.
More expensive than the online service, but easy. They've done this before. Half hour zoom, fill some forms, pdfs arrive, you go sign.
I told this to my dad as we were signing his will, he said 'he knew what he was doing'...
And his estate was ruled intestate after he died, because he had no witnesses sign it when we did.