Wills & Estate Planning

When asked if they have a will, so many people reply, "No, but I have been meaning to get one."   To some, making a will is an uncomfortable thought;  to most, it is just something else they plan to get around to doing..."one day".
 
What you now own is the direct result of years of working and saving.  You, not the State, should decide who will receive that which is now yours at the time of your death.  You have that right.  Yet, if you do not exercise that right by making a last will and testament while you still have the capacity to make one, your wishes and desires will be forever lost and your estate will pass to beneficiaries not chosen by you, but by the intestate laws of your State.  In addition, by making you own will, you will be able to decide who administer's your estate, as opposed to the State appointing someone else. 
 
It is particularly important to young adults to be able to go ahead and appoint a guardian of their own choosing to raise their minor children;  with no will, the guardian would be selected by a Judge who most likely does not know you, nor the values you wish instilled into your children.  In addition, with a will, a trust can be set up to protect the money or asset you leave behind until such time that your children (or grandchildren) can properly handle them.  Without a will, your children would get their part at age eighteen with no restrictions.
 
In addition there may be estate tax issues, blended family considerations, specific gifts to go to specific beneficiaries....the list goes on and on.  You need someone experienced in the area of wills and estate planning to help figure out the issues that need addressing, then handling these issues as needed so that you have the peace of mind that your goals will be accomplished.
 
J. Stephen "Steve" Brown has drafted hundreds of wills in his thirty-plus years of practice.  If he has not "seen it all', he has seen enough so that he is in a good position to help identify what you want and need to do, and then advise how to do it.  Please call Steve at 444-3299 to set up a time to just meet and talk about it....no charge.
 
Please don't put it off any longer;  the ramifications of not having a will are just too great.