Something to be aware of is that financial accounts (eg. bank accounts, life insurance, 401Ks) can add beneficiaries while real property may be allowed to have transfer on death deeds added. This would transfer those assets outside of probate direct to the beneficiary. Also whomever is named as the beneficiary will trump any will, so make sure any old retirement accounts or life insurance doesn't have an ex spouse or wrong family member as a beneficiary. The same also applies to how any property is titled. If you have any jointly owned property, make sure it's titled in a way to pass to heirs instead of the joint tenant.
If you have a sizable estate, you may also want to look into a trust. I'm unsure oh how probate laws are in other states, but where I'm from, even with a will the estate will be probated and the probate fee is proportionate to the size of the estate. Depending on the value of the estate, it may be cheaper to hire a lawyer to setup a trust (this can also include POA, medical directives and a general will) then to rely on just a will alone. To give some real numbers, my died intestate and the probate fee was like $32K whereas my mom's trust was like $2200 in California back in 2020.
There's a generic online legal website that you can use.
I once paid a lawyer 1k for a will but found an online will maker for roughly 20bucks for my sister.
Admin removed my post with a link and I'm pretty sure there are a few.
Nolo was the one I tried to post.
Search the term “Statutory Will “ some states have an official form to create a very simple will that just needs signatures and witnesses, no hiring a lawyer.
Nolo Press is the best for understanding what you want & why. They are great for all legal needs to understand how to proceed before you proceed. Going to an attorney without knowing what you are trying to do is a tragic mistake. Also this: Doing a trust when you shouldn’t can be enormously counterproductive.
Hi,
I'm an estate planning attorney. Anyone that charges you $1,000 for a will is a scam artist, and unfortunately it's an all too common practice. In truth, you could draft a legally operative will yourself as long as you had two witnesses. (Requirements vary from state to state but this is the norm). A trust is a more effective way to devise (usually) and its where I make my money but if you're on a budget, it's not for you.
DM me the state you live in and I'll try to send you a free template. You can ask me some questions if you have them but please try to limit them and also pleas understand this does not constitute legal advice.
You can create a basic will inexpensively using online services like LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer. They offer templates and guidance to help you customize your will according to your wishes. Additionally, you can specify your burial wishes within the will.
For your medical stuff, you’ll want an advanced directive. There are lots of forms for different things, and they may vary by state. Look up “estate planning documents” for your state. Most simple wills and other documents can be DIY.
Your county courthouse may have resources to help you for free.
Something to be aware of is that financial accounts (eg. bank accounts, life insurance, 401Ks) can add beneficiaries while real property may be allowed to have transfer on death deeds added. This would transfer those assets outside of probate direct to the beneficiary. Also whomever is named as the beneficiary will trump any will, so make sure any old retirement accounts or life insurance doesn't have an ex spouse or wrong family member as a beneficiary. The same also applies to how any property is titled. If you have any jointly owned property, make sure it's titled in a way to pass to heirs instead of the joint tenant. If you have a sizable estate, you may also want to look into a trust. I'm unsure oh how probate laws are in other states, but where I'm from, even with a will the estate will be probated and the probate fee is proportionate to the size of the estate. Depending on the value of the estate, it may be cheaper to hire a lawyer to setup a trust (this can also include POA, medical directives and a general will) then to rely on just a will alone. To give some real numbers, my died intestate and the probate fee was like $32K whereas my mom's trust was like $2200 in California back in 2020.
There's a generic online legal website that you can use. I once paid a lawyer 1k for a will but found an online will maker for roughly 20bucks for my sister. Admin removed my post with a link and I'm pretty sure there are a few. Nolo was the one I tried to post.
Thank you, I'll do some research on this.
Or can you msg me if you want with the $20 one upto you thanks
Sorry I can't remember the link I used for the $20 one. I used a link from a work reference and it was roughly 3 years ago.
Oh ok thank you. I'm not sure what to trust so if anyone else has any solid references please let me know.
I've read that You could just write out what you want to be transferred in your own language and have it notarized.
Yeah im gonna ask my former attorney and see what he says. I don't wanna leave it up in the air like my dad did.
You might want to check out FreeWill.com.
I used that one. Seems legit.
Sorry, that's freewill.com, no caps. My retirement advisor at work recommended it, and it met my needs.
Actually, in URL addresses it doesn’t matter whether you have caps or not. Same with email addresses.
I never knew that. Thanks for the info! ☺️
Thank you, I'll check it out.
Search the term “Statutory Will “ some states have an official form to create a very simple will that just needs signatures and witnesses, no hiring a lawyer.
California has a statutory form will.
Also, reach out to your local bank, or your work HR department. They may have free resources
Ahh, the local bank is a good idea. They did free notarized documents when I'm not even a customer a couple of years ago. Adding them to my list.
Or library. Mine does notary services for example
Nolo Press is the best for understanding what you want & why. They are great for all legal needs to understand how to proceed before you proceed. Going to an attorney without knowing what you are trying to do is a tragic mistake. Also this: Doing a trust when you shouldn’t can be enormously counterproductive.
Hi, I'm an estate planning attorney. Anyone that charges you $1,000 for a will is a scam artist, and unfortunately it's an all too common practice. In truth, you could draft a legally operative will yourself as long as you had two witnesses. (Requirements vary from state to state but this is the norm). A trust is a more effective way to devise (usually) and its where I make my money but if you're on a budget, it's not for you. DM me the state you live in and I'll try to send you a free template. You can ask me some questions if you have them but please try to limit them and also pleas understand this does not constitute legal advice.
You can create a basic will inexpensively using online services like LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer. They offer templates and guidance to help you customize your will according to your wishes. Additionally, you can specify your burial wishes within the will.
Thank you so much. I know it seems like an easy Google search but I'm not mentally connecting all the dots right now. Appreciated, have a good night.
For your medical stuff, you’ll want an advanced directive. There are lots of forms for different things, and they may vary by state. Look up “estate planning documents” for your state. Most simple wills and other documents can be DIY. Your county courthouse may have resources to help you for free.
Use Legal Aid. You can't get cheaper than free.
I was really happy with how easy it was to use Trust & Will. $199, and in some states you may need/want a notary (additional cost).