Here in the United States, there are many legal services to benefit from, whether you are purchasing real estate, filing for divorce, or drawing up a will. Services for writing a will are particularly important and something that just about everyone should do with the help of a skilled will lawyer. Wills are hugely important for everyone, as deciding who gets what, from real estate to material goods to the money in your bank account, can very much simplify matters for your loved ones in the event of your death, be it a natural death or even an untimely one (as none of us hope to die young but tragedy still happens each and every day in this world all around us).
While many people think that dividing up their real estate and money and worldly possessions among their loved ones can wait, it’s ultimately better to get your will drawn up as early as possible in your life. In fact, it has even been recommended to draw up a will before you reach the age of 40, just to be on the safe side. As things change and your life progresses, the will can always, of course, be amended, be it for matters of real estate or otherwise.
Unfortunately, far too many people don’t understand the huge importance of drawing up a will, especially as they are nearing the ends of their lives or even much earlier in life, as their children are being born. In fact, more than half of the population of aging adults (those who are between the ages of 55 and 64, very nearly elderly) do not yet have their wills drawn up. And very nearly 65% (64%, to be a little bit more exact) of the general adult public of the United States does not have any kind of will either.
If you have minor children and don’t have a will, now is the time to draw one up. Aside from matters regarding deciding who gets what real estate and other matters that can be handled with the help of various real estate lawyers throughout the country, you’ll also need to make important decisions about your estate, the money you have saved so far, and who will have power of attorney over this money until your young children reach adulthood, as most people will very firmly decide against giving minor children the power over your remaining money in the event of your untimely passing, as well as the passing of the other parent, if one is present in your child’s life (as is typically the case here in the United States).
While these are certainly difficult matters to think about the potential of, you’ll also need to decide on a guardian for your child or children in the even that you and your partner pass away. You’ll want to find a person or people that you’d trust with your life (or the lives of your children, as it were), people that you know will raise your child to be the best possible person that they can possibly be and who will be able to provide them with everything you and the other parent in question would want them to have in life, from opportunities to experiences and more.
In some cases, such matters will need to be decided for an older child as well, if the adult child is disabled in a way that prevents them from living independently and supporting themselves without the aid of the parent or parents. A special needs trust can help that become a reality. A special needs trust won’t necessarily deal with matters of real estate or the like, but can help to ensure that a disabled adult child will still receive the standard of care that they need to live a happy life, giving parents of such children a greater peace of mind about their eventual passing, which is likely to occur many years before the passing of their child (though this is of course dependent on a number of circumstances).
At the end of the day, drawing up a will and a trust is hugely important for just about everyone.