Why do so few people choose to control the disposition of their own estates after they die? Perhaps you fear death, you procrastinate, you are too lazy to think about your death, or you think that a will is unnecessary or too expensive. Why haven’t you e-mailed your lawyer, called your closing attorney, or actively engaged in executing a will? What is holding you back?
There is a debate among various elder law attorneys and marketing professionals about why New Yorkers and fellow Americans do not see their local attorney to prepare or revise their Last Will and Testament. Did you know that more people die without a will than with one!!
There are two givens in life– death and taxes. So, why not control what happens in death through the execution and preparation of a Will? Do you really want the New York State Legislature to dictate where your personal belongings go after you die? The truth is that all people in New York State are empowered to execute a Will to override the rules relating to “intestacy” (where your stuff goes if you don’t have a Will).
How can you get a will– buy a computer program for $3- to $50 dollars, where you input your own information– You could do that, but are you really getting value out of your own legal advice? Do you really want a computer generated document that bears no relation to an attorney’s advice, consultation, and consideration. Are your heirs not worth having a simple and relatively painless conference with a live attorney and the execution of a document that considers your life and your station?
Unless you have spoken to your attorney, you cannot claim that you and your family do not need some form of simple will.
Bottom line– Get out, hire a local New York State Wills, Estates and Trusts attorney, and consider your mortality for a moment and execute a simple will– your family will be better off.
Key Terms to understand: will, testament, estate planning, trusts, business, marketing, legal ethics