Will a will keep my family out of probate?
- Angela
- Dec 14, 2019
- 2 min read
No.
That answer is simple.
I had a conversation recently with another lawyer who thought that a will was all that is needed to avoid the often expensive and time consuming probate process.
He was wrong. And it’s not the first time I have had an experience like that.
You see, even lawyers who don’t do estate planning don’t understand estate planning. So if you ever feel a bit embarrassed about not knowing the answers to questions regarding your own planning, you shouldn’t. And it makes sense to at least have a consultation with a lawyer, even if you are planning, for whatever reason, to go it on your own to take care of something even lawyers sometimes don’t understand.
So, what does a will actually do?
It tells a probate court judge what to do with your stuff. Who gets it, what charities you have left money to, and sometimes even that you want to set up a trust for your kids after you’re gone (that trust will have to be overseen by the court, however, as opposed to a different kind of trust you set up outside of a will while you are still alive that allows your family to skip the probate process altogether).
Completing a will may or may not be the best way to accomplish your planning objectives and the only way to figure out what is best for you is talk to a lawyer who does estate planning. (Or learn everything you need to know to figure it out yourself, which will definitely take longer than having a chat with us).
A holistic approach that includes an overview of your assets, your family situation, and your intentions to determine what is the best way to plan for the inevitable. So your family won’t be left guessing.
If you would like some help getting your own important, meaningful planning done in 2020, reach out and book here to take the first step. And stay tuned for the opening of our online school where you can learn what you need to know to get going on taking care of it all.
Want to be on the list of the first to get inside of the school? You can sign up for that right here…
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