Do You Need a Lawyer to Write a Will?

If you are considering writing a will, you might wonder if you need to hire a lawyer. The short answer is no; you’re not required to hire an estate planning lawyer. However, it’s highly recommended that you do, especially if you have no idea where to start or want to avoid probate court involvement (in which case you should write a Trust as opposed to a Will) to address. If you’re not sure if you should hire an attorney to write your will, you should consider some important questions. If your answer to one or more of these questions is yes, you should talk to an estate planning attorney.

Do You Have a Complicated Situation?

If you don’t mind your estate going into probate court and If you don’t have many assets and have just a few beneficiaries in mind, your will may be simple enough to write yourself. But this is rarely the case. Most people have a more complicated situation or want to avoid probate court that they need to consult a lawyer about.

For example, if you have children from a previous relationship and got remarried, you will need help ensuring your kids and new spouse gets the assets you want them to have. This will require writing a Trust instead of a Will to leave no room for error, as you don’t want your family to fight over what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Additionally, if you have significant assets, you should hire a lawyer. When leaving behind one or more houses, cars, retirement plans, and more, it’s critical to ensure that you upgrade your estate plan from a Will to a Trust-based plan. A lawyer will help you decide how to split these assets and what the tax implications might be.

Do You Want Backup Plans In Case of Surprises?

Life doesn’t always go as planned, which can affect how your will is handled when you pass away. For example, you might lose or gain assets over the years. Your beneficiaries or executor could also pass away, making it impossible to carry out the wishes in the will.

A lawyer can help plan for these possibilities, including updating the will or adding alternative options that address what happens if certain events occur. If you want to feel prepared in case anything unexpected happens after you write the will, come to our Minneapolis law firm to talk to an estate planning lawyer.

Do You Want to Save Your Family Time and Trouble?

The point of having a will is to make it clear how you want your estate handled for a probate court judge’s consideration. You don’t want your family unsure of who gets which assets, which could lead them to fight a lengthy court battle. Unfortunately, this could happen if your will is not clear or contains mistakes. For instance, if you did not sign it in front of witnesses or updated it incorrectly according to Minnesota law, it might not be valid.

You can reduce the chance of this happening and have peace of mind by hiring our Minneapolis estate planning lawyers. Call our law firm at 612-448-9653 to learn how we can help.