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Webster & Garino LLC offers legal will services to clients in Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Fishers, and the surrounding areas.
You’ve worked hard to create a strong financial legacy to leave behind for your loved ones after you’re gone. If you haven’t taken part in proper estate planning strategies, such as creating a legal will, then your financial assets may not be distributed in the way you desire. At Webster & Garino LLC, our experienced estate planning litigators will help you stay prepared by securing your loved ones’ financial future with a legal will.
We understand the discomfort that can come with planning for a time when you’re no longer around. Our legal will attorneys offer compassionate guidance and professional advice to set up your legal will efficiently so that you can get back to enjoying your life and your family. We’ll even travel directly to your home, hospital room, or care facility to take care of all your estate planning needs.
Contact Webster & Garino LLC for services you can trust regarding legal wills and related practice areas in Westfield, IN.
What is a Legal Will?
A will, also called a last will and testament, is a legally binding document that allows you to dictate how your property and assets should be distributed to family members and other loved ones upon your death. A typical will names multiple beneficiaries who will inherit specified assets and sometimes identifies a single executor to carry out the instructions outlined in the will.
If you want your assets divided among your family in a specific way or want to leave property to someone other than a family member after you die, then you will need a legal will.
What Makes a Will Legal?
Drawing up your will is not as simple as writing down instructions. For your will to be considered legally valid, it must meet certain requirements for legal documents laid out by the State of Indiana. Working with a legal wills attorney at Webster & Garino LLC will give you the knowledge you need to properly manage your wills, trusts, and the overall future of your Westfield estate.
These requirements can vary depending on your specific jurisdiction, but some common elements include:
Testamentary Capacity
The person who creates the will – also called a testator – must be of sound mind and at least 18 years old.
Intent
The will must clearly express the testator’s intent to distribute their assets and property after their death.
In Writing
A will must be listed in writing, whether handwritten or typed. Jurisdictions that do allow oral wills have extremely strict requirements for acceptance.
Signature
The testator must sign the end of the document to indicate that it accurately represents their final wishes.
Witnesses
Most jurisdictions require at least two witnesses to the signing of a will. Witnesses must not be beneficiaries who are listed in the document.
Adhering to these legal requirements will ensure your will is recognized as a valid testamentary document and secure proper estate administration. Laws regarding wills can be complex and vary between jurisdictions, so it’s important to work with our qualified estate planning lawyers to meet all of your desired criteria for your legal will.
Why Hire Our Qualified Attorneys?
While the process of creating and legalizing a will may seem simple, if you choose to complete your will on your own you could quickly run into challenges that could be detrimental to your desired distribution of your financial legacy. When you partner with Webster & Garino LLC, we offer professional and experienced legal representation that will effectively prepare or update your will without issue or court intervention.
Our team of seasoned litigators will make sure your will doesn’t omit any assets, uses precise language that can’t be misinterpreted, and adheres to all formalities required in Indiana. Making even the smallest mistake in these processes could delay the completion of your will or invalidate it.
If you pass away without a valid and legal will in Indiana or an alternative arrangement like a living trust, your assets will be distributed based on impersonal formulas listed in the state’s succession laws.
Call Webster & Garino LLC for a free consultation with one of our friendly legal wills lawyers to address all of your legal issues.
Indiana Standards: Dividing Your Estate Without a Will
If you don’t have a legal will in Indiana when you die, state law dictates how your property will be given away. Common examples of how your assets will be divided without a will include:
Unmarried with No Children
If you’re unmarried and don’t have any children, your living parents, siblings, nephews, and/or nieces may inherit your property.
Unmarried with Children
If you have children but are unmarried, your children and/or grandchildren may inherit your property.
Married with No Children
If you have no living children or parents but are married, then your spouse may receive all of your property.
Married with Children
If you are married and have children from the marriage, your property will be divided into two groups. Half will go to your spouse and the other half will be divided equally among each child. However, this changes if this is your second or third marriage.
If you have a clear and specific vision for your financial legacy that doesn’t fall into these categories or involves individuals outside of your relatives, then you need a legal will drafted and carried out with support from a legal wills lawyer with Webster & Garino LLC.
Take Control of Your Estate with a Legal Will Attorney in Westfield
Don’t let your hard-earned financial legacy go to waste after you pass away. Create a legal will with help from a knowledgeable Indiana attorney at Webster & Garino LLC. We offer complimentary consultations to learn about your will and trust needs. At our local law firm based in Westfield, Indiana, we’ll even travel to you for convenient, timely, and affordable solutions for all of your estate planning needs, from trust formation to power of attorney services and estate probate.
Contact Webster & Garino LLC online or call us at (317) 768-0958 for high-quality legal services to meet your estate planning, family law, and other legal needs across Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Fishers, IN.