WILLSIs Your Family Protected?

Everyone needs three basic documents, a will, durable power of attorney with a HIPPA waiver and an advance directive for health care with a HIPPA waiver. The will controls the disposition of your assets at death and may contain trust provisions to protect your heirs in the case of their divorce or from the claims of creditors. The will may also contain provisions to protect disabled persons and persons receiving entitlements such as Medicaid. A will may also contain a provision naming a Funeral Representative who will make your final arrangements. Less frequently, a will may contain provisions minimizing death taxes in large estates and apportioning death taxes in the case an inheritance tax applies to your estate.

There are commercially available software packages that allow a user to fill out a will form. We caution against this do it yourself approach. When you engage this law firm to prepare a will you are purchasing legal advice, not merely a document. An analogy may be helpful. You may purchase a mechanics toolset from a box store, however, this does not give you the expertise to repair your car. So to you may fill in the form of a will. It is the legal knowledge that will make that will operate as you intend.