The costly mistake of not having a will

Do you want to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of after you are gone? Do you want to protect your hard-earned assets or provide for a favorite charity following your passing? If so, creating a legal will is the best and most reliable way to ensure those wishes become a reality. More people need to pay more attention to this essential step as not having a legal will in place can be an extremely costly mistake.

Over the last few years, we have watched as several celebrities have passed away without having a will in place thus leaving their families to fight over their assets in the public eye. Whether you are a celebrity or not, you have the opportunity to control your financial assets and to ensure that after your passing, your loved ones are taken care of. It is not just an opportunity for the wealthy, having a will is essential for every working adult despite their finances. So even if you are working minimum wage, this applies to you as well. In today’s blog post, we will examine why having a proper estate plan is more important than ever as well as look at some strategies that can help by quickly creating comprehensive last-will documents. Read on to learn more about protecting yourself, your family, and your finances with just one vital record.

Without an official will to reference, families often end up in legal battles deciding how assets should be distributed. Something as simple as passing on ownership of a car, a home, jewelry or other items can easily tear a family apart. A will helps to eliminate any discrepancies and solidifies the exact beneficiary of each asset. To further simplify this process, most people hire an attorney to assist with creating a will and further estate planning however you do not have to. Be sure to check your state laws regarding if you need an attorney to be present during the creation of your will. For instance in the state of New Jersey, a will is considered a legal document if it is handwritten or typed by a competent adult and witnessed by two other people. It is self-proving if it also has been notarized. There are a variety of notarization companies around that can assist you with this matter however one that we found to be of great service is Heather Black Ventures, a leading New Jersey based mobile notary service offering general notary work and loan signings across the Hudson County, Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County and Passaic County area. This Jersey City based notarization service is available daily Monday through Sunday from 9am – 10:30pm ET and provides both mobile notarizations for general notary work that comes directly to your office or home as well as in person signings at their

headquarters. Their offerings include notarizations of wills, deeds, loan signings, leases, employment and medical records, affirmations and oaths and various other corporate transactions. Heather Black Ventures does not provide any legal advice so be sure speak to legal counsel in your area regarding all legal matters and concerns. For all notarization purposes, be sure to contact Heather Black Ventures and get your documents notarized today.

Your will can be both preprinted or handwritten. After it is created, there are only a few simple steps to make it self-proving. First, you must find two witnesses that are at least 18 years old and uninterested and/or not a beneficiary or spouse. Witnesses do not need to know the content of the will but they should see that the creator of the will or testator is signing the will freely and voluntarily and is of sound mind. A notary will then attach a self-proving affidavit to the will. Both the testator and the witnesses need to sign the self-proving affidavit in front of the notary. Mobile notarization services such as Heather Black Ventures come directly to you to make this process as seamless as possible. In addition to notarizing your will, they can also notarize any property deeds you may have as well as any other document that you may need to have notarized. All you will need is your proof of identification this includes either a driver license, passport, green card or other government-issued form of identification, you must be of sound mind without the influence of drugs orand willing to sign the affidavit and will on your own free will without coercion. Also your witnesses must remain present at the time of the affidavit signing as well. All signatures must be made in front of the notary no exceptions.

Have you ever stopped to consider what would happen to your assets if you did not have a will? As distressing as it is, not having a choice in place means that any decision-making regarding the distribution of your assets will be made by complete strangers. With the help of a notary service, a will becomes self-proving thus eliminating the need to have strangers distributing your assets. It is essential not just for yourself but also for those closest to you to guarantee that your property and possessions are safe following your passing. Your assets should not be left up to chance by not having a will – take advantage of the notary services available today!

Writing out a will is one of the most important things you can do for your family. Without a will, the court will decide who gets which assets and how they are distributed, but this process could take significantly longer than if you had done the work beforehand. For instance, in the state of New Jersey like other states, if you do not have a will upon passing, the state will take your assets especially if you do not have a direct beneficiary. This includes not having a spouse, child, descendants, parents, siblings etc. If you die without a will, the state will consider your case to be intestate and your assets and estate will be subject to intestate laws. This is the case for millions of family across the U.S. Families are left without anything. In most cases the family cannot afford to pay off their loved ones debt or even have a proper funeral. You can avoid this unfortunate process by simply creating a will and having it notarized.

According to CNBC, 67% of Americans do not have an estate plan. Covid-19 has brought awareness to this issue and the need to have a living will. It is a fairly easy process and yet a lot of people are skipping this step. Life is unpredictable and you cannot leave your estate planning up to chance. You do not want to wait until an unfortunate event happens to plan out this matter. In addition to having control of your financial assets upon death, it is crucial for you to create a will that includes a clear and concise statement regarding your medical wishes, a healthcare proxy to make medical decisions and a trustworthy power of attorney. If you are unsure where to start please speak with an estate attorney and consult a financial advisor.

Writing a will not only protects your interests and provides peace of mind for you and your family, but it also allows you to give back to causes or organizations such as American Red Cross, UNICEF, Disabled American Veterans and The Nature Conservancy among others that were important to you during your lifetime. With the help of an estate attorney, you can easily designate some portion of your estate to charities, schools, churches, or other causes that hold special significance for you. Leaving behind a legacy not only helps others but demonstrates the commitments and passions that define you as an individual even after death. Notarization helps to prevent contract disputes and litigation. It helps to deter fraud and elevates the credibility of a document. Your assets will go directly to whom and where you want it

to go so that you can honor your commitment to your favorite charities and causes after death as well.

Having an updated will is essential to estate planning and ensuring that your final wishes are followed. To make sure that your will accurately reflects your wishes, whether you’re gaining assets or losing them, consider regular updates. It doesn’t need to be a costly process – in many cases, and a notary service is all that’s necessary – however, it could be precious in the event of illness or death. Updating your will ensures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and provides peace of mind not just for you but for your family as well.

Press Release Distributed by The Express Wire

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