Wills and Estate Planning FAQ

When you meet with a lawyer at our firm to prepare a will, you will be provided a “Wills Questionnaire” to complete prior to any drafting. This questionnaire will allow you to go through and list all the assets you currently have and decide how you want things to be divided even before you speak with a lawyer. Sometimes, it will remind you to follow up with a financial institution or insurance company regarding designated beneficiaries of assets that will pass outside of a will. The goal is to ensure you have turned your mind to everything you currently own.

Even if you have already decided what you wish to do with your assets, including your beneficiaries or how assets will be divided, we will also ask you what you wish to happen in case any of your beneficiaries predeceases you. It may seem unnecessary if your beneficiaries seem much younger than you, but the will is intended to cover all possibilities, even if the chances of a beneficiary predeceasing you seems small.

In general, you should be prepared to provide at least the following information:

• Who you would like to appoint as your trustee (a.k.a. executor or administrator) of your will,
• How you would like to divide your estate, including specific assets,
• The value of your assets,
• The names, birthdates, and current addresses of any beneficiaries,
• Whether you are the sole or joint owner to any specific assets,
• Whether there are any assets that will pass outside of a will due to beneficiary designations,
• Body, burial, and funeral wishes.