Wills and Trusts Planning in Jacksonville

Of all the estate planning tools available, wills are the one that most people are aware of. While they are aware that wills exist, most people either don’t have one in place or don’t really know what a will can do for them. The following are some of the key benefits of having a will:

• Minor or Disabled Children – If you have minor or disabled children, a will can identify who you want to take care of them in the event of your death.
• Inheritance – A will is the most common document for identifying what you want to happen to your things. You can say you want your home to go to one person, your car to another and your antique coin collection to a third. This document can be as long or as short as needed to ensure your heirs get what you want them to have when you’re gone.
• Expediting Probate – While wills don’t typically allow your loved ones to skip over the probate process entirely, wills can often help the probate judge.
• Avoiding Conflict – Emotions run high when a loved one has passed away. If there is no will in place, families often end up fighting over who should get what. The last thing you want is for your death to cause conflict in the family.
• If you do not have a will, the state will tell your family how to distribute your property. Don’t leave such an important matter to the state!

To put it simply, every adult should have a will in place. In some cases, this is the only estate planning you will need to do. For others, it will be one piece of an overall estate plan. In either case, it is something you should have completed as soon as possible and then updated as often as needed to remain accurate.