Eddie_T
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My state is rather easy even if one dies intestate but most people think a will is needed. My mom had written a holographic will but it was more of a draft and she had lined out a couple of words and rewrote them still in her handwriting but the court wouldn't accept it. The court appointed me as administrator and ther than filling out a bunch of forms there was no change to the state's succession rules anyway, just two class A heirs.
I checked with a law office for a simple will and the starting price was $500 for a will and $295 for a durable power-of-attorney both of which are just spit out of a word processor. Some people pay several thousand dollars for a will. A friend of mine was led to believe that the state would take his property if he didn't have a will.
My DIL used to work for a lawyer. She did the work the stuff's all in the word processor all they have to do is print it out. The only expertise is selecting the clauses. She was also a notary but after she changed jobs she dropped that because there are some associated liability risks. I just got the bright idea of having her select the right template for me. She also recently served as executor for an uncle's estate so she knows the ropes. Another plus her BFF works for the Clerk of the Court. If the lawyer was still practicing law he was the kind of fellow that I could just stroll in and ask for a $100 will but he quit his practice to go back to being an OTR trucker (and has since passed).
So at present I am procrastinating over whether to choose a will template or just hand write a will. The beauty of a holographic will is that it doesn't have to be in legalese. The caution regarding holographic has mostly to do with "if contested". In my case investments are TOD, real property goes to heirs at the time of death and my son is my only heir.
I checked with a law office for a simple will and the starting price was $500 for a will and $295 for a durable power-of-attorney both of which are just spit out of a word processor. Some people pay several thousand dollars for a will. A friend of mine was led to believe that the state would take his property if he didn't have a will.
My DIL used to work for a lawyer. She did the work the stuff's all in the word processor all they have to do is print it out. The only expertise is selecting the clauses. She was also a notary but after she changed jobs she dropped that because there are some associated liability risks. I just got the bright idea of having her select the right template for me. She also recently served as executor for an uncle's estate so she knows the ropes. Another plus her BFF works for the Clerk of the Court. If the lawyer was still practicing law he was the kind of fellow that I could just stroll in and ask for a $100 will but he quit his practice to go back to being an OTR trucker (and has since passed).
So at present I am procrastinating over whether to choose a will template or just hand write a will. The beauty of a holographic will is that it doesn't have to be in legalese. The caution regarding holographic has mostly to do with "if contested". In my case investments are TOD, real property goes to heirs at the time of death and my son is my only heir.
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