Dead men tell no tales. In a perfect world, property owners would just have to write their wills and be relieved that their family and friends are taken care of or that the future of their investments is secured. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the world we live in, and the deaths of some property owners can be the whistle blown for an ugly battle between family members for the inheritance left behind by the author of the will. It will be too late for him/her to make any changes after death, but there are a few steps that can take do beforehand to remedy the potential situation beforehand. Some of which are:
Prepare a legally permissible will
The law has a thing or two to say about the execution of a will. Some guidelines and rules are a must. If these guidelines are not followed, then the court usually has no choice but to declare that the author of the will is an intestate person, and the property is shared accordingly.
To make sure that your will is valid, and your property will be distributed according to your wishes, it is important that your will conform to the law. Executing a valid will can be extremely difficult on your own or without legal advice. It is recommended to rely on an Estate planning lawyer, in Burlington, Iowa, if you live within the proximity of Iowa.
Prepare your family and friends for the contents of your will
Another sure way of preventing wills or trusts from being influenced is when the contents of wills and trusts are explained to all parties involved. Some might make a video recording explanation to lend some credit or believability to the content.
Satisfying doubt and eliminating the confusion regarding the content of any will is a primary reason why people go out of their way to contest wills and trusts. If there is a reason to keep something secret until death, then recording it all in a letter or video is an easy way to clear up any misunderstandings.
Attestation of health at the time of writing
One interesting ground on which people base their case for contesting wills and trusts is that the author of the will was not thinking clearly enough to write a will. Sometimes it appears to be self-serving, but in most cases, the situation becomes clear after some discussion and review.
In such a case, it is necessary to acquire documents that will prove all the decisions included in the will were executed with a sound and healthy mind. The first step in accomplishing that mission is to contact an estate planning lawyer in Burlington, Iowa. The attorney can go through different ways to show that you were in a sound state of mind at the time your will was drafted. Possible documents that could aid in this determination include medical reports that affirm your ability to make sound decisions.
Also, the estate planning lawyer can arrange for you to prepare a self-proving affidavit before witnesses that also testify that you made your decisions with a clear mind. If those alternatives are not possible, then other solutions proposed by the attorney can be explored.