Wills — The Devil Is In The Details

To keep your will from “going wrong,” avoid these common mistakes.

The intention of creating a will is so that your wishes will be carried out when you are no longer here. It’s a pretty powerful document, no doubt! So what happens if there is a mistake in the will?

There are numerous ways in which a last will can go wrong. For a basic introduction to get you thinking like a preemptive problem-solver, consider reading a recent Forbes article titled “Wills Gone Wrong: Mistakes That Can Thwart Your Last Wishes.”

There are three basic issues when a last will can go astray. First, the wording can be unclear, incomplete, incongruous or incorrect. Second, the words can be outdated. Third and finally, the words can be absolutely perfect, but the will is nowhere to be seen or some other draft is discovered first. Moreover, rarely do the  “will-in-a-box” wills foresee the long term problems that can occur with your estate.  T

If nothing else, to get it right, draft your will with the assistance of a professional. hen, to keep your estate in order, be sure to respect your last will as the document it is. Accordingly, be careful to protect it, keep it current, and keep it within easy reach of the right people once the time comes.

The original article presents specific problems and even a few stories to illustrate them. Be sure you get it right, unlike the tragic stories in the article. Planning your estate is not a do-it-yourself project. There is just too much at stake.