Why Should I Hire an Estate Planning Attorney When it’s Cheaper to Draft my own Will Online?

In North Carolina, there are very specific laws regarding drafting and executing wills. In order to ensure your will is valid and complies with state law, you need to hire an estate planning attorney to draft your will. If your will does not meet the specific statutory requirements, it could be deemed invalid. If your will is invalid, then your assets will pass through intestate succession, and the state will determine who gets your property and who will care for your minor children.

Online Will Tools Fall Short

Do it yourself online will services that make it “easy” for you to draft your own will cannot properly advise you on the impact of each decision you make, nor can they make recommendations based on your specific needs. It is, unfortunately, becoming more and more common for people to use online resources that ultimately fail in a crucial aspect of their estate planning. Here are a few considerations online resources may not properly address:

• Survivorship property
• Life insurance
• Needs of minor children
• Future tax consequences
• A Will Tailored for You

Yes, You Need a Will!

After your death, your family will already be dealing with the grief of losing you, and you don’t have to make it harder on them by not having a will. By having a will, you can take the guessing out of the equation. A will allows you to designate:

• An executor
• Who will receive certain property
• Who will take care of your children after your death (physically and financially)
• Your wish for burial or cremation

All of these are major decisions that will have a huge impact on your family and should be made before it is too late.

What Happens if I don’t have a will?

In North Carolina, there is an entire area of law dedicated to what is called “intestacy.” Intestate succession laws discuss what will happen with your assets, your real property, and your minor children if you do not have a valid will setting forth your wishes.

Instead of you making decisions, a court will decide who will administer your estate and the intestacy laws will determine who gets your assets. If you have minor children, the court will determine who should get custody and be the guardian for your children.

I‘m Young and don’t have Children, so Why do I Need a Will?

Regardless of your age and whether or not you have children, you still need a will to make sure your wishes are followed. For example, most people do not realize that a spouse does not automatically inherit everything at the death of the other spouse. The intestacy laws provide that parents or children will also inherit. The consequences of parents or children inheriting from you are huge.

Too many people put off estate planning for “later,” because life gets busy. The estate planning attorneys at Robison Smith Law work hard to make Estate Planning an easy process for you. Our office has attorneys licensed in North Carolina who can help you with all of your estate planning needs.