People often ask me “Do we have to have a will?” and the answer is, legally, no. You don’t have to have a will but a will is a guarantee that your wishes, if properly laid out in a document, executed, witnessed and acknowledged properly will be considered and hopefully adopted by a probate court. In the event you pass without a will, the state of Connecticut has laws which set forth how an estate is to be administered, and how your funds and property will be distributed.
If married, your spouse may end up with a large share of the estate. If not married, children are then next in line and without children, the statute also spells out a process for the distribution of your estate. However, with the will, not only do you get to designate who will get what, you also get to designate who will be your fiduciary, your executor or executrix and even the guardian for your children.
These are all important considerations and if you want your thoughts and feelings to be considered and taken into account when orders are entered by the probate court, you need to draw a will, and we can help with that.
This informational blog post was brought to you by Marc N. Needelman, an experienced Hartford, Connecticut Probate Lawyer.