Wills

Colleyville Wills Lawyer

Need a Will in Grapevine, or Tarrant County?

When it comes to estate planning, the first document most people think of is a will. This is known as a last will and testament and is a legal document that carries instructions as to how you wish your property, finances, possessions, and assets to be distributed on your passing. However, this legal instrument can do more than that and has many benefits. Without a will, when you pass away you will die “intestate” which means that your estate will be handled by the decisions of a judge. A probate judge must operate on state rules only without any information as to what you would have wanted. This can lead to confusion and strife among your family members and contested battles in court.

You can avoid all that with the experienced legal help from our Colleyville wills attorney at the Law Offices of Kate Smith, PLLC. I can help you review all matters and issues related to your will and prepare one that is tailored to your individual circumstances. My firm has been providing this legal service to clients throughout my area for 15 years. I take pride in the level of service and care I deliver in creating legally valid wills as well as other essential estate planning documents. To ensure your will is prepared and executed according to law, I advise you to work with me, Kate Smith.

Get competent legal help with your will. Contact our offices at 817-479-0534 to set up an appointment today.

What Does a Will Accomplish?

While a will is less complicated type of estate document than a trust, it still has many benefits and accomplishes the following:

• Determines how your property, assets, finances, and belongings will be distributed, names your heirs and beneficiaries, and states when/how much they will receive
• Designates a guardian and inheritance manager for your children; without this a court will have to appoint someone
• Accelerates the probate process; the court will validate your will and be responsible for following its instructions
• Allows you to name an executor of your estate who will be responsible for administering your estate through probate and ensure that your will’s instructions are honored
• Reduces estate taxes because you will be giving away your property which reduces the value of your estate
• Allows you to prevent individuals from obtaining any part of your estate whom you would prefer not to receive your assets or property
• Allows you to make gifts and donations to individuals, charities, and other organizations that you like; currently you can make a $13,000 gift that is not subject to estate taxes
• Helps to prevent conflict and legal challenges that could end in protracted and expensive courtroom litigation by family members or others

Your will can be changed at any time during your life. When circumstances change, such as through divorce, births, deaths, and altered finances, you have the option to revise your will to reflect those changes or new preferences.

Other Types of Wills

Other types of wills can be used for various purposes. Examples include pour over wills and living wills. A pour over will is used along with trusts to ensure that any assets acquired after your trust was prepared or assets you may have forgotten to place in your trust are covered in your estate plan. Living wills are another type of will that defines end-of-life care, such as whether feeding tubes and other artificial means should be used to prolong life. Wills can also be joint wills which are used when one spouse wishes to leave their property and assets to the other.

Help from the Law Offices of Kate Smith, PLLC

Wills must be written and executed according to certain standards to hold up in court. To ensure that your will is prepared properly, I urge you to have legal assistance. My firm is here to answer all your questions, advise you on the nature and purpose of any will you may need, and handle the creation of your will per the legal standards.

Get the legal help you need for you will. Contact me at 817-479-0534 to get started.