How to make a will in the United States that is valid?
If you live in the United States and want to make a Will that meets the specific requirements of your state, there are several methods for making a will that is valid in the United States and a large number of resources and online forms that can help you do so while meeting your state’s requirements.
Many people mistakenly believe that you only need to make a will when you own a home or real estate. Really recording your last will is an easy and very useful process that we should all do for the well-being of your heirs, family and loved ones. One thing is for sure, we need a heirship attorney. For example, we need a Texas heirship attorney if we live in Texas.
Which is better, a will or a trust?
Whether you have several properties or only a few items of sentimental value, distributing your assets according to your interests and needs, through a will, would help avoid conflicts between your loved ones and heirs.
Types of Wills in the United States
Simple Will: the testator, who must be of legal age and be in full mental faculties, lists his assets and names heirs. The will must be dated and signed by the testator and two or three witnesses, depending on the state.
Living Trust: all or part of the testator’s estate is placed in a trust and an administrator is appointed, who decides how the assets are distributed among the beneficiaries. This type of will is frequent when the testator has real estate properties, minor children or disabled.
Joint Will: when two people make a testament by naming the surviving heir to the other.
For the remainder of this article, we focus primarily on things you need to know about a Simple Will or Joint Will.
How much does it cost to make a will?
The cost of making a Will in the United States varies depending on how you decide to do it. It is important to note that the law does not say that a Wills attorney like a Texas probate attorney is required to leave your last will and pass his belongings to your heirs and loved ones.
Write your own Will at home
It is not necessary to go to a notary or a lawyer to make a will, you can write it yourself at home. You can change it and do it again as long as you follow certain requirements of the state where you live. Let’s see what some of the requirements are later.
Use an online service (also from home)
Using an online service to make your will may be the safest option. Several companies offer legal forms that meet the specific requirements of each state and help you as a guide to completing your will without making mistakes. This option is also useful to know what are the steps to follow to probate the will.
The price for making a will online is between $ 60 and $ 120. Most online will programs and services will allow you to make changes within a period of time after you’ve finished writing it, usually 30 days to a year.
Hire a Wills and Estate Planning Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer is the most expensive option of the three, however it is recommended that you do so whenever you need legal advice, remember that only a lawyer is authorized to answer legal questions. In many cases this is not necessary and you only need the correct forms to fill out. When you hire a Texas probate attorney, you will pay what the attorney’s fees cost, usually around $ 350 per hour.