Aurora Wills Lawyer

Aurora Wills Attorney

A will is one of the most important parts of preparing for your death. Without a will or some other form of estate planning, your estate will be subject to whatever the law and probate process decides. This leaves you with no say in what happens. If you have children, property, assets, or anything else that you want to see handled in a certain manner after you’re gone, then a will can be a critical tool. It’s important, however, that you work with a skilled Aurora wills attorney to ensure your will is legally binding.

It’s important that you have a will that can hold up to scrutiny and challenges while also being able to achieve your objectives. At Burr Law, we seek to make sure that our clients have a strong will, and we take the time to understand exactly what you want your will to accomplish.

What a Will Can Do

When created correctly, a will can do a number of different functions, both directly and indirectly. It’s important that you have someone who can explain to you how a will can fulfill these different functions. Some of the most important things that a will does are:

• Appointing Executors and Trustees. A will must pass through the standard probate process after a person’s death. That process will need to be overseen by an executor who will be responsible for executing the will within the probate laws. You can name that executor in the will. Additionally, as a will is often only one component of an estate plan, a trustee may also be named to take responsibility for managing a trust.
• Asset Planning. When most people think of a will and what it accomplishes, they are probably thinking about the asset planning aspect of the document. Without this aspect of the will, your assets will need to be distributed according to what the law dictates. This standard could clash with your wishes.

The kinds of assets addressed often include real estate, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, and personal belongings. A will could dictate that these assets are distributed to beneficiaries, sold, or handled in other ways.

• Guardianship. One of the important functions of a will is the role it plays related to the issue of guardianship. Typically, this will apply to minor children, although it can also address concerns related to caring for a special needs adult as well.

Without something like this in place, there could be disputes about what will happen with the children or a dependent adult. Naming guardians in the will allows caretakers to ensure their children are placed with someone with the values and parenting approach that they desire.

• Tax Planning. When it comes to tax planning, some estate planning tools, such as trusts, may be more suited to your needs. That said, wills can still have some advantages for tax planning, depending on your objectives and needs.
• Flexibility. One of the advantages of a will is that you have significant control over it even after it is initially finalized. As you gain assets, family dynamics shift, and other important elements of your life change, you can make adjustments to your will. It’s even revocable if you decide a different route is going to better serve your estate planning needs.
• Reducing Disputes. As sad as it can be, there are times when the process of an estate distribution can lead to disputes and in-fighting amongst the surviving loved ones. Often, this is because the process is initiated so soon after the passing, and everyone’s emotions are still raw.

A solid estate plan that includes a will can often make a big difference in terms of reducing this tension. Taking care to have a will and a plan is a great way to care for your family and ensure they don’t question your desires.

• Peace of Mind. For many people, having a will drawn up can create a significant sense of relief. There is at least some assurance of how things will be handled when they are gone, and that feeling can give someone true peace of mind.

What an Aurora Wills Attorney Does

Working with an Aurora wills attorney can be critical to ensuring you have a will that will function according to your wishes. Because we want to make sure what we put together for you aligns with your objectives, we will need to discuss not just what you want in your will but also what you want for your estate plan in its entirety.

When putting together your will, we will need to create something that can withstand potential challenges. We will use our knowledge of the law to craft a strong will and ensure that any potential grounds for challenging it are addressed. A will that fails to meet each legal requirement could lead to disputes, difficulty for your family, and assets not being distributed per your wishes.

Even after your will is drawn, there are other ways an estate planning attorney can support you. If you have further estate planning needs, we can help with that. We also often find that people will want to update and adjust their will as their life circumstances change, whether that be a shift in family dynamics or buying and selling assets. It’s important that these changes be done properly, or else they risk being challenged. We can help see that they are done well.

Get Help With Your Will and Other Estate Planning

A will is absolutely critical for those who wish to have control over what happens when they are gone. However, it’s also important to remember that a will may only be one part of a comprehensive estate plan. You want to be sure that you have a good understanding of what your will can accomplish and where it fits in your broader estate plan.

At Burr Law, we want to assure our clients that they have an estate plan that will stand up to challenges and function as desired. That’s why, when we are planning and crafting your will, we take the time to really understand what you want your will to accomplish. This allows us to produce a document that fits your desires and is customized to your particular needs. For this kind of comprehensive, tailored approach to your will, contact us today.