Recently, I've had the experience of working on an estate administration matter, in which the deceased executed a will that is invalid. Before he executed the new, invalid will, he tore up the old properly executed will. What that means is that the person's estate will be distributed according to what the law says about how it should be distributed, and not according to the terms that were in the invalid will or in the valid will before that one. In this case, that is exactly what the deceased wanted to avoid.
The worst part is that the deceased had no idea that the will executed would not be valid. He died thinking he had everything in place. He actually went to great lengths to show whoever would read it, that it was valid. He used all the intelligence and common sense in the world, but it did not comply with the laws of our state. If he had met with an attorney, he would have been alerted to the invalidity of the will.
What does this mean for you?
It means that if your number one goal is to take care of your family, you had better get an estate planning lawyer to review your situation with you and help you to properly execute a valid estate plan. If you execute an invalid will, you may never find out - but your family will.
The care of your kids could be compromised, the value of your assets could be diminished, and an inheritance could go to the wrong person. Your kids could receive their inheritance at age 18. Many scenarios that you probably wish to avoid could happen.
Get your situation reviewed today and start working with a lawyer who will be there for your family when you cannot be.
To your family's health & prosperity,
P.S. Want to get started on the most important planning you'll ever do for your family? Give our office a call at (503) 235-5150 to get started. You'll be glad you did.
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