Avoid Problems With Professionally Prepared Estate Documents
With the proliferation of inexpensive do-it-yourself wills and online templates, many people ask the question, "Do I need a lawyer to prepare a will?" The short answer is "No," since there is no law forbidding you to prepare your own will. Just like you can repair your own transmission or do your own business taxes, though, you are preparing your own will at your own risk, and you may well be missing some critical things without the help of a professional.
At Godbey & Associates, decades of estate planning and probate experience has shown us that having an attorney's help in planning your estate will greatly reduce the potential for problems and increase the benefits to your family.
Make Sure All the Important Elements Are Addressed
As knowledgeable estate planning attorneys, we will work with you to ensure that all the important issues are addressed in your will and your other estate documents. Specifically, we can enable you to gain these advantages over a one-size-fits-all will:
- Account for all of your assets in your will and have a specific plan for each one
- Maximize the estate tax benefits that are applicable to your specific situation
- Make sure that any special needs in the family are provided for
- Determine whether you need additional tools or documents in order to avoid probate and provide as much as possible for your loved ones
Why do I need a will? If you do not make a will, the law mandates that your closest living relatives inherit your property. In other words, if you do not make a will, you do not have any say about how your property will be distributed. Subject to certain limitations, a will allows you to give your property to whomever you want, including friends, charities and non-immediate family. A will can be especially important if you have children under the age of 18 and you want to make sure they are taken care of in the event of your death. See our Last Will and Testament FAQs page to learn more.
Contact a Cincinnati Will Formation Attorney
The attorneys of Godbey & Associates can draft or update your will in order to protect your family, safeguard your assets and provide important tax protections. Contact us to consult an Ohio lawyer who can assess your situation and advise you on your options.
