Admittedly, a will is not an exciting testamentary tool. Although movies and television programs sometimes sensationalize the reading of characters’ wills to add drama and intrigue to family conflicts and to add wrinkles into complex storylines, in actuality a will is more or less a list of instructions for what a person wants to see happen with their belongings once they are dead. Even though most wills do not provide individuals with excitement, it is important for all Californians to consider the value wills provide to those who choose to execute them.
A will is a way to convey one’s preferences regarding their possessions when the individual is no longer alive to communicate their desires. Without a will, a person’s belongings will be distributed to individuals based on California’s intestacy laws, which may not be to a person’s liking. A will can also spell out how a minor child will be cared for in the event that their parents perish before the child achieves adulthood.
Anyone who wants to decide how the many acquisitions they received during their lifetime should be distributed upon their death needs a will. Michael A. Sawamura, attorney at law, is available to counsel residents of the Sacramento area on what they can do to prepare their wills and avoid conflicts later on down the road.
Although will contests are not uncommon, many individuals leave ambiguity and questions in their wills that can cause their beneficiaries to challenge the terms and conditions of the wills. Through careful drafting and a deep understanding of the law, an attorney can help his or her clients proactively avoid these problems and prepare testamentary documents that achieve their wishes.