Putnam County Wills Attorney

One of the most important things a person can do as they plan for the future is to draft a will. After you pass, a will is a tool that allows you to make the important decisions that will affect your estate when you are gone. A will is a testamentary document. While being proactive about how you want your estate to function when you are gone, testamentary documents can relieve the stress of family members who should focus on healing. A will is an important tool for someone who has a vision of how his or her estate should function after death. If you do not have a will, the court will follow arbitrary guidelines to allocate your estate’s assets. Ensuring a secure future for your estate is important to consider while you can. If you need quality legal services from a compassionate wills and estate planning attorney to guide you through your legal options, contact the Law Offices of Andres D. Gil, PLLC today.

Primary Reasons for Creating a Will

Creating a will is one of the wisest and potentially most important investments in your life.  If you pass without a Will, the Surrogate’s Court takes over and appoints an administrator to collect and distribute assets.  In New York, Trust and Estates Law essentially writes a Will for you and distributes your assets according to the “Distribution Rules of Intestacy.”  This can be problematic as the law generally distributes to a surviving spouse and children.  There is no specific gifting without a will and assets are distributed in accordance with the statute. Some of the many reasons to create a will include the following:

1. To leave your property to those whom you care in the manner and proportions you choose;
2. To choose your Executor;
3. So that the estate will not have to incur the cost of an administration bond to ensure the faithful performance of the Executor chosen by the Court; and
4. To have any estate taxes which may be due on your estate located among your beneficiaries according to your wishes, rather than by statutory rules.

Living Wills

A Living Will is a legal document in which you, as a competent adult, can state future healthcare wishes. This is used by people who want to express their feelings about withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments. Many people want to make clear their objections to unwanted medical measures in advance. In essence, the Living Will is intended to anticipate the situation where you may be in an incurable or irreversible mental or physical condition with no reasonable expectation of recovery.

Contact a Brewster, NY Wills Attorney

If you are thinking about what will happen to your estate after you pass, you should consider drafting a will. With this important testamentary document, you can secure your vision of the future and protect your family from undue stress and the potential for legal action. If you need a lawyer to advise you on anything related to wills and trusts, contact the Law Offices of Andres D. Gil, PLLC to schedule a consultation.