This common question is one that comes up because most people wait until they are much older to create a will. But creating a will now can help you and your loved ones in the event that the worst happens. No one wants to contemplate their own mortality but any person aged 18 or older should consider creating a will. It will make things that much easier for your family members to be able to navigate the complex process of probate and to move forward.

Although you might assume that you may not need a will until you are much older, your family members will already be coping with enough grief and unique challenges if something happens to you and you are much younger. In creating a will, starting at age 18 or whatever your current age is, you get the comfort of knowing that you hopefully don’t have to use this will for many years and can continue to come back to it and update it as circumstances warrant it.

But you also know that your loved one won’t be in the difficult position of trying to sort through your estate on their own or of having to comply with whatever the court has determined is the appropriate transferred property because you are not around to determine this and did not take the steps to articulate it in your will. The truth is that people of all ages and backgrounds can benefit from creating a will because it is not you who will deal with the administration of your estate but it is your loved ones.

Think of it not as a task on your to-do list but as a gift you can leave behind to your family members to make things organized and streamlined in the event that something unexpected happens to you. No matter your current age and no matter how long it’s been since you contemplated creating a will or updating a current one, you can benefit from speaking to an estate planning lawyer.    

 

 


Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. For legal advice specific to your situation, please consult with a qualified attorney.

Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP

About Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP

Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP is the CEO and Founding Partner of O'Connell Law, an estate planning and elder law firm serving clients across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. She is one of a select group of attorneys in Massachusetts certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). Tiffany focuses her practice on estate planning, trust and probate administration, Medicaid planning, long-term care planning, Alzheimer's planning, charitable planning, and retirement and wealth strategies. She has been helping families plan for their futures since opening her practice in 2010.

Credentials: JD, LLM, CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney — National Elder Law Foundation), AEP (Accredited Estate Planner)

Licensed in: Massachusetts

Areas of Practice: Estate Planning, Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Alzheimer's Planning, Asset Protection

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