Jeffsthelawyer.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Info
  • PORTAL
  • Not in VA?

Sodoma Law PLLC Blog Page

You found it!  Leave some comments!

Who's Zooming Who?  Handwritten Wills?

6/24/2019

0 Comments

 
Aretha Franklin's handwritten wills found: Big estate planning no-noBy Carol Roth
​Published May 22, 2019OpinionFOXBusiness
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, should have given more r-e-s-p-e-c-t  to her estate planning 
When she died last August Opens a New Window. , it was reported that she didn’t have a will. Now, as her estate is being combed through, three different wills have reportedly been found, including one located under some seat cushions. Each one is handwritten and has been submitted as part of the probate process to see if any of them will have legal standing.

Franklin’s actions -- or lack thereof -- could cost her heirs tremendous amounts of money in legal fees, not to mention hours of time and family strife. Moreover, the ultimate court decision regarding her estate may not be consistent with her wishes.
What can you learn from it?

First, formalize a will. Estate law varies by state and you will want to make sure your will reflects your location and circumstances and will be upheld.
Don’t go the handwritten route. Spend the money to hire a trusted estate planning attorney to ensure that everything is done correctly and the way you want, and that it has witnesses and/or is notarized. While you can download a form from the internet, spending a bit extra to hire professional help can save your heirs a fortune in extra legal fees in the long-run.
Also, revisit your will at least yearly to make sure it accurately reflects your current wishes and everything is consistent between the will and other documents, like beneficiaries listed on any insurance policies.
Next, make sure your heirs can find the will. Franklin’s handwritten wills may not be the last ones she wrote. This is not an uncommon mistake. Experts agree that not being able to find the will at all is one of the biggest estate planning mistakes.
Finally, involve your loved ones as you prepare your wishes. Franklin’s loved ones didn’t know her wishes and now that will likely cost them extra time, money and burden.
While it’s never fun to think about, don’t let your discomfort about dealing with the future become part of your legacy. Be proactive about estate planning.
Carol Roth is the creator of the Future File Opens a New Window.  legacy planning system, “recovering” investment banker and host of The Roth Effect podcast.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Jeff Sodoma, MPA, Esq. is a lawyer based in Virginia Beach, Virginia

    Blog! 

    Hello, there!  Welcome to my blog.  I will use this blog as a platform for my writing.  I will write about topics in the legal world, certainly, as well as everything else under the sun, because I have many interests (and viewpoints).  All views expressed in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are mine alone.  One of my interests is music--my wife believes that I should go on "Beat Shazam" because I know so many songs--and I will be, from time to time, analyzing song lyrics and how they relate to the legal world.  

    Archives

    July 2022
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All
    Decisions
    Elder Law

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Info
  • PORTAL
  • Not in VA?