You need a Will to provide for your family and friends after you die – making sure that your property is distributed how and where you wish it to go.
If you die without making a Will (what’s known as dying “intestate”) then the Probate Court decides how your property and assets are distributed in accordance with the law’s legal formula. The Court will also appoint an Executor to manage your estate’s distribution in accordance with this formula.
This can be a long drawn out and expensive affair. During which your family could be denied access to bank accounts and financial information; which has been known to cause severe financial and emotional stress.
Any gifts you had in mind, burial arrangements or to whom you left your estate will not necessarily be known or taken in to account by the government appointed trustee executor.
So, by making a Will you can avoid a lot of emotional, financial, and decision making stress for your family and friends.
When you make your Will it is important to remember that you will not be there to answer questions from family, friends and lawyers. So, to avoid any arguments and upsets, make sure your instructions are quite clear and unambiguous and that you’ve covered everything you want to.
Furthermore, making a Will means you can appoint your own Executors who you know and trust, to ensure that your last wishes are carried out in a sympathetic and honest way.