Most Texas residents are aware that they should have a will drawn up to protect their family and their assets after they are gone. However, it is surprising how many people do not heed this advice. Most people think that it is no big deal because their assets will just go to their spouse or children if something happens to them.
However, that is an uncertainty. This is exactly why a will is important. It can remove the uncertainty. Without a will, a probate court — which you can liken to a stranger — gets to decide who gets your property and assets. They could end up in the hands of your spouse and children just the way you would want them to, but you don’t know that for sure.
You may be thinking that you don’t have a lot in the way of assets, so why bother? There are many more good reasons for having a will drawn up even if you don’t have a lot. For instance, there may be personal items that mean a lot to certain family members, and may just be thrown away by others. If you have multiple children, do you want to take the chance of your children getting into a feud over your belongings?
If you have had more than one marriage, and have children from a previous marriage, you may need a will to make sure that those children get a portion of your assets. Even if the family appears to all get along well, it is surprising to know how many family relationships where more than one marriage is involved crumble when the patriarch or matriarch passes away.
By having a will drawn up and specifying who gets what, you have narrowed the chance of your property or assets being held up by probate court, which can go on for months sometimes. If the validity of a will is contested by one of your heirs, it is possible that it could still go into probate, but the likelihood is much slimmer than with no will at all.
Not only are you protecting the ones you love with a will. You will get peace of mind in this area of your life.
