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Home » Estate Planning » Wills » How Can a Will Help Me?

How Can a Will Help Me?

March 16, 2011 by John Potter

Everyone needs a will!  A will is an important estate planning document that is used to decide what happens to your assets after your die.  But, there’s more to a will than the distribution of assets.

A will can help survivors in a number of ways, including:

1. Appointing an executor

With a will, you are able to appoint an executor (trusted helper.)

  • It is a good idea to appoint an executor who is organized, keeps good financial records, and is able to communicate well.
  • This trusted helper will handle a variety of tasks such as paying last bills, gathering and protecting assets, distributing assets to beneficiaries, and filing last tax returns.
  • The trusted helper is in charge of submitting your will to probate court in order to have your will validated.

2. Distributing your assets

Your will is a mini instruction book that explains how your assets will be distributed

  • If you have a revocable living trust, the beneficiary of your will is your trust.
  • If any assets are not titled in your trust, your will is used in the probate process transfer assets into your trust.

3. Choosing a legal guardian for your children

Your will lists the guardian that will care for your children after your death

  • It is best to choose a guardian who will raise your children as you would.
  • The ideal guardian is someone who loves your children, is responsible with money, and is able to give lots of love and care to your children.
  • You are able to decide if the appointed guardian is responsible for the assets that are left to help care for your children.

If you want to create a will or have questions about a will, consult with an experienced estate planning attorney.

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Filed Under: Wills Tagged With: Estate Planning, Wills

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Overall The Potter Firm was very professional. They took what could of been a very complicated process and were able to break it down so it was a lot easier to understand. We are confident we now have made the right decisions in our estate planning. Good firm to work with.

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John Potter has been a real pleasure to work with. He is very knowledgeable and explains things in a very simplistic manner so the average person can understand how/why the laws are written. He is very attentive and asks questions in such a way that not only helps him understand your goals, but also helps you think about what type of goals and expectations you should be considering. Exemplary client service.

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