A new year is here, and it might be that you’re thinking about the future by preparing your Will. If you haven’t ever considered it, it’s never too early to do so.
If you’ve decided to write your Will, you have two options of how to go about creating one; via a DIY home Will kit, or with the help of an experienced lawyer.
You may think you can put together your own Will without the help of an estate planning professional, but there may be some intricaies you were not aware of. When it comes to estate planning, asset transfer and Power of Attorney, there are a lot of rules that need to be followed, including some that you may not know about.
Preparing your Will is one of the most important decisions of your life. It is important that it is drawn up properly to ensure it reflects your true wishes. A lawyer can help to guide you through this process, to ensure there are fewer disputes about what is to be done with your assets in the event of your passing.
Learn more below about the benefits of choosing a lawyer to legally draw up your Will.
Peace of Mind
One of the main benefits of hiring a lawyer in any legal circumstance is that it gives you true peace of mind. The law can be complicated, and by employing an experienced lawyer you can have confidence that your best interests are being handled by a professional, who is working within the law to aid your case.
Decreased Tax Burden on Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries may have to pay tax on their inheritance. Tax can be a notoriously complex area of the law; an experienced lawyer will be able to identify any issues that could arise further down the road, and help you to understand the best ways to avoid them, such as creating a family trust.
Effective Communications
An experienced lawyer will be able to communicate your wishes professionally and legally. Emotional decisions can be handled better by a lawyer to reduce the anxiety, stress and emotional strain on loved ones, at a time when they are least able to effecitvely deal with any estate issues.
Legal Power of Attorney
You might think that your partner is able to make all decisions on your behalf should you pass, but this is not necessarily the case. An experienced lawyer will develop a Power of Attorney agreement on your behalf, to decide who should make financial, medical and/or legal decisions for you, in any circumstance where you are not able to do so for yourself.
Not only can this be costly and confusing to do on your own, it could also result in someone other than your preferred person making key decisions about your assets, if not completed properly.
Proper Preparation
An improperly prepared Will can be a source of anxiety and further cost down the road due to gaps, unfinished documents, errors and more.
An experienced lawyer can prepare everything within the bounds of the law, to ensure your stress is kept to a minimum during an emotional time for your loved ones.
Continued Support and Assistance
At Le Brun & Associates, our role with you extends beyond us completing your initial Will documents. We understand that circumstances change all the time, and our legal experts are always happy to give further advice and make any changes to your Will for any reason.
Drafting your own Will often carries risks, which can lead to legal problems in the future or unecessary costs and anxiety for your loved ones. We can help you plan, prepare and legally finalise one of the most important documents of your life – just don’t leave it too late.
With no upfront fees, we also offer the first 30 minutes for your initial consultaton completely free, so that we can assess your needs, and ensure you are fully informed of your options.
We invite you to consult with our experienced estate lawyers. Download our Wills & Power of Attorney Brochure here or contact us for more information and a free consultation.