Almost everyone who owns something and has people they care about should get a will. I say “almost” because the government’s alternative plan, intestacy, works great for a few people … especially those that don’t care about leaving a big mess behind. Most of us can do better.
A will gives you the power to: 1) decide who gets what; 2) appoint a trusted person to supervise the carrying out your instructions; 3) choose a guardian for your minor children; and reduce the hassle and expense of sorting this all out later.
Back in the early days before the dawn of civilization–perhaps before the dawn of humanity–was the invention of “stuff,” which was almost immediately followed by the invention of “mine.”
What happened when those first owners of stuff died? Well, if the Law of the Jungle had a code, its probate section would say two words: “Finders Keepers.” If you found the body, you kept the stuff.
For example, one day Udi is walking home from the hunt and he notices tribemate Ogg face down in the forest motionless. Using an advance medical technique of the time, he pokes Ogg in the eye with a stick and observes no reaction. Concluding that Ogg is dead, Udi is free to remove Ogg’s watch and keep it.
Ogg didn’t have any say in what happened to his watch, because wills hadn’t been invented yet.
As human civilization developed–with a leap in complexity due to the increasing number of people and increasing types of stuff–so did their way of handling transfer of possessions upon death.
Before laws covered the issue, people followed local customs. Some cultures buried possessions with the owner and others gave them to the family.
Well after the invention of written language, inheritance laws emerged and spread widely with the Roman empire. Of course, this development was accompanied by the invention of inheritance taxes.
So as history progressed, passing on your property became a more orderly but more expensive task. After all, taxes are the price you pay for civilization.
Today’s law gives people the power to decide what happens to their property and money when they pass away. The catch is that you have to write it down in a certain way and with the right words.
An attorney helps you choose the best options for how to leave behind the most wealth and the least hassle for your loved ones.
Book a consultation now so we can get together to discuss what options work best for your family.
