You can get overwhelmed with the prospect of writing your online Will or completing your other essential estate planning documents like a Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney. However, with Gentreo, it is easy to cross this task of your list and protect your loved ones.
What do you need to do before you begin? Not a lot. Here are some tips to get ready.
- Reflect: You need names and contact information of the ones you want to appoint or make beneficiaries of your online Will. Really, what you need to do is reflect on who you want to get what assets.
- Who is Important to you, including your pets: If you have minor children, an important consideration is determining who you would want to nominate as their guardian, if you died before them. You want to make sure the person you choose is responsible for them. Also, don’t forget that the law views your pets as an asset, so you need to think about who you want to give your pets to, so that it will be well taken care of.
- Who will administer your estate: You need to decide who you want to administer your estate. Who do you know and trust that has good organizational and communication skills?
Sometimes when you are creating your online Will, you may get stuck and need to take a break. Gentreo allows you to stop and it saves your work so that you can come back to it when you are ready to proceed with creating your online Will.
Once you have completed creating your online Will, it needs to be witnessed and notarized according to your state’s laws. Many states do not require witnesses and notaries, however, by having the witnesses and notary, complete the self-proving affidavit, it makes it easier for your online Will to be probated. Gentreo provides state specific instructions for all its estate planning documents, including self- proving affidavits in states that allow it.
Also, it is important to review your estate planning documents, including your online Will, at least annually. Your online Will is a document that you may need to amend to reflect your changing needs and circumstances. Again, this is why creating your online Will with Gentreo is easy. With your Gentreo membership you can create a new online Will as often as your needs require it. What was appropriate for you when you were single, may be different when you marry or maybe you have divorced and remarried. In any event as your life circumstances change, so should your estate planning documents, including your online Will.
You may be intimidated by the idea of creating your Will but remember that a Will is an expression of your final wishes. It is your last chance to care for the ones you love. If you have pets; children and or modest assets, an online Will is an easy way to complete one part of your estate plan.
