August is national “Make A Will Month”. This is the perfect time to take a moment and review where your assets will be going after you are gone. No one likes to think of the end of life but without a solid plan, our loved ones can suffer the consequences.
Making a will is easy; however, there are serious pitfalls if you attempt to do it yourself or use a cookie-cutter software product. Unfortunately, by the time anyone realizes the mistake, it is usually too late for you to make the correction.
An experienced estate planning attorney can help you work through different scenarios and write a plan that will cover your wishes and reduce the suffering of your loved ones.
Nearly 75 percent of people do not have a will. The reasons vary from thinking they are too young to that they don’t have enough money for it to matter. Yet it is extremely important to make sure there is a legal document that says to whom your belongings and assets will go – if this is not clear, it can lead to family conflicts and court action that can break relationships apart. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor this month and make a will! It’s easy and it will ensure that everything you own will go to the people and places you want them to.
Joan Reed Wilson Esq. – Managing Partner
Practices in the areas of estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, conservatorships, probate and trust administration, and real estate. Admitted to practice in the States of Connecticut and California, she is the Vice President of the CT Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), an active member of the Elder Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, accredited with the PLAN of CT for Pooled Trusts, with the Veteran’s Administration to assist clients with obtaining Aid & Attendance benefits for long-term care needs and with the Agency on Aging’s CareLink Network.
