When many people think about wills, they think about leaving large items to their loved ones, but wills aren't just for big assets such as homes, cars and savings accounts. You can also use your will to outline which heirs get small possessions and sentimental items. Here are some tips to help you as you explore will and probate law.
1. Make a List of Everything You Own With Sentimental Value
To ensure you don't forget anything, you may want to make a list of your items that have sentimental appeal. In particular, you may want to include family photo albums, heirloom jewelry, antiques, holiday decorations or anything else that you think is special to your family. When you include everything in your will, that helps to reduce arguments among family members after your death.
2. Talk With Your Family Members
Before conclusively deciding which items go to each family member, you may want to talk with your family. Simply, ask them if there is anything that they want left to them in your will. Consider making notes so that you don't forget.
3. Consider a Sticker Party
If you and your loved ones are open to the ideas, consider having a sticker party. At a sticker party, you invite the people you want to leave things to. For example, you may want to invite your adult children. In other cases, you may want to invite young friends or special nieces and nephews.
Then, you give each person a sheet of small stickers. Make sure each person has a different colour of stickers. Then, let your loved ones go through your home and put stickers on the items they want. You can make this type of event fun by having some snacks on hand and using some of the time to look through old photos or watch family movies.
4. Get Legal Help
To ensure that you have noted all of the items correctly in your will, you may want to contact a lawyer. Make sure to hire a lawyer who is experienced with will and probate law. They can help you create a will that is legally binding.
5. Update Your Will as Needed
Remember, you can also make changes to your will. If you buy new items and you want to ensure that they go to someone special after your death, contact your attorney to make changes. You can also change what certain heirs receive if desired.
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11 December 2017
Hello, my name is Sandra. I live with my two children in Eastern Australia. I have recently come through a very difficult divorce. My ex-partner used to drink too much and he wasn't a very good husband or father. The final straw was when I discovered he was having an affair. I filed for divorce the same day. I knew that getting divorced would be difficult but I didn't realise just how difficult. My husband did all he could to make it hard for me and the kids. Thankfully, I found a fantastic family lawyer who helped me through the entire process. I won custody of the kids and my husband has been asked to pay child support. I decided to start this blog to help others who are going through a divorce.