“Where is Dad’s will?”, is one of the most common questions heirs have after someone’s death. That is why it is so important to make sure that your heirs have a copy of the will as part of your estate planning.Many people are of the impression that they do not want to share a copy of their will with their children after they do their estate planning. However, in actuality, it’s a good idea for all the heirs to have a copy for several reasons.
First, if all the heirs have a copy of the will before the person dies, if they do have any issues with the way things are distributed, they have an opportunity to discuss that before the person dies. Additionally, by having been given a copy of the will for the person dies, it makes it harder for the heir to ever bring a will contest. By giving everyone a copy of the will while you are still alive, it increases the chances that the decisions you made for your estate planning will actually be carried out.
Second, if everyone has a copy of the will, that can cut down on any delay in opening the probate estate while a search for the original will is made. A copy of a will can be probated in place of the original if the original cannot be found (especially if all the heirs agree that is a correct copy of the original will). Also, if everyone has a copy of the will, that provides an extra layer of safety against the original will becoming lost or destroyed, which would leave your heirs having to open a probate estate without your will.
At Brightwell Elder and Probate Law, we can help you not only help you do your estate planning, but provide the practical advice necessary to make sure your estate planning is carried out.
