Internet Laws

No one likes to think about the possibility of their own death, but it is important to be responsible for your own legacy.  If you have children or own property, then you should consider creating a last will and testament.

First, decide if you will draft your own will or if you will hire a lawyer to do so for you.  The advantage of working with a lawyer is that you can rest assured that everything will be legal.  Some lawyers specialize in last wills and testaments.  However, they can be expensive.  Alternatively, you can access many templates for creating a will from legal websites.  Online templates offer the benefit of being quick and inexpensive, but they are not always customizable.

You can also write your own will and testament.  If you choose to write your own will, you must begin with a statement of declaration followed by three articles.  The first article of your last will and testament designates who will pay for your legal debts, funeral expenses, and the process of settling your estate.  The second article states to whom your property will be given; this is usually a spouse.  The third article states alternative beneficiaries, such as children, in the event that the first beneficiary is already deceased.

You will need to include a separate article for each person or organization to whom you would like to leave a gift.  You will also need to include a separate article appointing a guardian for any minor children.  The last article of your will and testament should name the executor of your estate (usually a spouse) as well as an alternative personal representative in the event that this person is unable to act.

It is very important that the last will and testament is signed, dated, and witnessed by two individuals.  These witnesses cannot be related to you or named in your will and testament.  The will should be stored in a locked, fireproof safe with additional copies held by attorneys or accountants.

-
About the Author:
Along with writing articles, Sammi enjoys gardening. Garden Harvest Supply is one of her favorite gardening web sites which offers potted tomato plants, having many different heirloom tomato plants for sale.
Article Source

Related articles by Zemanta

• What are Do It Yourself Wills? (brainz.org)
• What Is a Personal Representative? (brainz.org)
• Five Letters Re: Garden Defense — Repelling Four-Legged (and Two-Winged) Pests (survivalblog.com)
• The Last Will and Testament of Michael Jackson Made in 2002 Was Uncovered (recycleemail.com)
• What is a Revocable Living Trust? (brainz.org)
• Here’s to you, Mrs Reynolds (newstatesman.com)
• Community Land Sharing (worldchanging.com)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 9:11 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.