Why is it so important to have a last will attorney in St Petersburg Fl when you are finalizing your last will and testament and planning your estate?
With so many online legal forms and cheap online filing opportunities, why bother with the expense of hiring an attorney to help with your last will and testament? Today we’re taking a look at the benefits that come with hiring a professional to get the job done and what can go wrong if you don’t.
Why Hire a Last Will Attorney in St Petersburg Fl?
As a resident of St Petersburg, Florida, no matter your age, you should consider creating your last will and testament with a last will attorney in St Petersburg Fl. Before we get to why that’s so important, let’s take a look at why having a last will and testament is important in the first place…
Why do you need a will?
Everyone should have a written will because it allows you to properly distribute your estate or assets following your death. Your assets and estate may include real estate, money, and belongings. While it’s not required for you to have a will, having one makes this distribution process easier for your loved ones. Having a will also ensures that specific items are left to specific people which can prevent ugly feuding after your death and ensure that items are allocated as you wish.
What if you don’t own much in terms of assets? Do you still need a will then?
Of course, if you own absolutely nothing, then a will is not necessary, but if you own anything of value to you (your pet included), it’s worth making a will so that your loved ones are not left guessing at your final requests during a time when they are already overwhelmed.
But Can’t You Just Fill in a Will Online?
It’s true that there are more than a few affordable (read – cheap) services online that allow you to create a “fill in the blanks” last will and testament without the help of an attorney, but these services pose problems.
Improper Execution
One of the biggest problems that comes up when you create a will without the guidance of an attorney is that the will you create may be improperly executed. When the last will is improperly executed it will be declared invalid and your family and loved ones may end up having to shell out the expense to go to court following your death to straighten out your estate.
Different States Have Different Rules For the Last Will and Testament
Depending on the state where you live the rules for accurately completing a last will and testament differ. A lot of the time people are unaware of the differences between state forms and will simply download and fill in generic forms. Doing this results in the improper execution of a will and you’ll find yourself in the situation above.
To ensure that you are using the correct forms for your last will and testament in your state it’s best to set up an appointment with a local attorney who is familiar with estate planning in your state.
Nonsensical Provisions Will Hinder the Probate Process
When you complete your own last will and testament without the assistance of a practicing attorney you can also run into problems with translation. You may know exactly what you want to say and the arrangements you want to be carried out in your will, however, when writing these things down they may not make sense to a third party. When this happens, your will ends up in limbo in probate court for much longer than desired.
You can avoid this type of problem by hiring an attorney to help you to properly voice your desires in a way that is easily read by probate courts. This stops any confusion after your death and will help the probate process to go smoothly and quickly.
A Last Will and Testament is Not a One Size Fits All Situation
Downloading forms online provides you with a fill in the blank universal solution to the last will and testament. Unfortunately, the last will and testament is not a one size fits all situation. For the sake of clarity, your last will should be written specifically with your life and your death in mind. A professionally tailored will allows you to avoid any confusion and makes sure that all of your bases are covered following your death.
Other Frequent Errors in Filling in a Last Will and Testament Yourself Include:
- Designating an executor of your estate based on emotion rather than their ability to execute your final wishes as outlined in your will.
- Putting conditions on inheritance money is something that many people try to do when leaving money to loved ones who have certain goals to meet. For example, you may require your son to hold a steady job for three years before he can access his inheritance money. This causes a problem because someone has to monitor this situation to ensure that your son does hold a steady job for all three years and this someone will want to be compensated for their trouble. If you plan to put conditions on inheritance money, talk to your attorney about setting up a trust. Setting up a trust will allow you to plan out the details of the inheritance rather than making a brief mention of it in your will.
- Leaving monetary amounts to pets is another common mistake. Your pets obviously cannot handle or manage that money themselves so this leads to problems that will draw out the probate process. If you want to leave money to your pets, do it through a trusted human and include clear instructions for this in your will.
Ready to Hire a Last Will Attorney in St Petersburg Fl?
Since 1999 Matthew Weidner has been serving, advocating for, and protecting the rights of those living in the Saint Petersburg area. If you’re ready to get your will professionally drafted then it’s time that you gave Weidner Law a call at 727-954-8752.
