Wills

[Wideawake]

I read a lot of stuff about having a will, but does it make sense for a single person without any children? What would be a range of cost for something like this? Something like LegalZoom a possibility?

 

[Dionysus]

My uneducated guess is that you should probably have one if you have assets (real estate, investments, etc) that you want handled in a particular way. Even if you don’t have much yet it might still be a good idea, otherwise it is entirely left up to the courts I think.

I would also be interested if anyone knows about things like LegalZoom and if they are a good idea for some things.

 

[NJlonghorn]

I read a lot of stuff about having a will, but does it make sense for a single person without any children? What would be a range of cost for something like this? Something like LegalZoom a possibility?

A lawyer-prepared will usually comes in a package with a power of attorney and medical proxy / living will. In your situation, the extra documents are probably more important than the will itself. They are critical if you become incapacitated and need someone else to handle your financial affairs (power of attorney) or medical decisions (medical proxy). If you don't have these documents in place, your family will need to apply to a court to get someone appointed to make your decisions. This is very expensive, and often results in bitter litigation that drives families apart.

You should be able to get a simple will package prepared for you for $500 or so. You can prepare all of these documents yourself using Legal Zoom or similar services, and if you follow the directions the documents will probably be enforceable. However, it is harder (impossible?) to know whether the documents will be strategically sound. Lawyers have experience with these documents, and can advise you through the decision-making process. Knowing which questions to ask is often just as important as knowing how to answer them.

 

[Wideawake]

Thanks for the response Njlonhorn. It's one of those things on my list to get done, but I just dislike thinking about it.

 

[Dionysus]

It's one of those things on my list to get done, but I just dislike thinking about it.

We’re gonna die.

 

[snek]

Wait, WUT?