Does Everyone Need A Will?

What are your thoughts? Does everyone need a will or not? There is an old saying you might have heard that ‘a will speaks for you after your death’. I bet you have heard it before.

If you own property at all, you should probably have a will. What can a will do for you? It will make sure that your wishes are carried out. If you want certain items to go to a particular person or persons it may not happen unless you have it in writing.

You can also designate who is to be the will's executor, who will care for your children, and what arrangements you want to be made for your pets.

If you die without a will, you are said to have died intestate. The laws of whatever state you live in will then decide what happens to your possessions, with no regard to what you wanted. A will is the only way to assure your wishes are carried out.

If you are in a situation where you have a domestic partner they may lose their home and have very little to live on if you die intestate. Which is the furthest thing from your mind.

What about your minor children? Do you really want them to become wards of the state? Wouldn’t it be better to choose who is going to finish raising them?

When you prepare a will, you can also name someone to be the executor of the will. This person will wind up your affairs after you are gone, pay any outstanding bills, collect any monies owed you, and distribute your possessions according to your wishes. I don’t know about you, but that sounds much better than letting the state decide. 

So, does everyone need a will? I would think so. I may not leave this world with a lot, but I want to be sure it goes where I want it to instead of letting the state have it.