Drafting a
will, regardless of age, gives you the opportunity to put your affairs into
order after your death. While it may feel morbid or uncomfortable to face
your mortality, ensuring that your loved ones are provided for will make
life much easier for those you leave behind.
Here are 5 benefits of creating a will:
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Provides financial security for your children and family. A will is the most effective way to adequately provide for your family
when you are gone. You can choose how your assets are distributed and
who they are distributed to. Without a will, the state makes a decision
on who your assets go to, and that can leave your loved ones with severe
financial hardship.
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Allows you to appoint a guardian to care for your minor children. If you have children, it’s important to make sure they are protected
and cared for until they are of legal age. Appointing a guardian, whether
it’s a friend or family member, will ensure this.
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Avoids inheritance disputes. After you pass, it’s completely logical for family to fight over
what is theirs, especially if there is no will left behind. Your children
could fight with your widow over a certain estate, which is the last thing
you would want. A will gets rid of nearly all disputes.
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Specifies wishes for your funeral. You may want to be cremated or you may want an extravagant funeral with
all the bells and whistles. Unless it’s written somewhere, your
loved ones may not know of your wishes, but you can easily add this to
your will.
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Makes arrangements for your pets. If you’re concerned about who will look over your dog, cat or other
pet, one solution is to nominate someone in your will, similar to the
guardianship of your children
(but not quite). You may also wish to consider leaving behind money to cover the extra
costs such as animal food and vet bills.
If you are interested in drafting a will, contact our Houston estate planning attorneys
at Law Office of Kathryn Marteeny at (713) 936-2300 or contact us online
to get in touch!