With the numerous disadvantages to intestacy, losing the ability to have your estate distributed in the manner you see fit is perhaps the most crucial of effects that passing without a will could have. If you are invested in retaining control over the future of your hard-earned property, you need to consider working with an attorney who could gather witnesses, confer your wishes in writing, and see that your estate is managed in the manner you desire. Start taking the steps to avoid intestacy in Lombard today.

When to Contact an Attorney About Writing a Will

A person should first contact an attorney about writing a will in Lombard whenever it is important to them, the type of legacy that they leave behind. Even if someone does not have a lot of money, they could still make it easy on whoever is left by naming a particular person to be an executor and by specifying exactly where their property should go.

What Happens if Someone Dies Without a Will?

If a person dies without an existing will in Lombard, their property would pass pursuant to the Illinois intestacy statutes. There would also be no named person to administer their estate, so someone would have to step forward to administer or apply to administer the estate. If there are competing claims, a court would have to decide who is going to administer the estate after a hearing. That could result in delays and unnecessary expenses. Further, whoever administers their estate would have to post a surety bond since there is no will that waives that requirement. To take steps to avoid intestacy in Lombard today, people are urged to speak with a lawyer.

Disadvantages of Intestacy

The disadvantages of dying without a will in Lombard are that it limits a person’s ability to decide who or what organization is to receive their property, and it limits that person’s ability to choose who would administer their will after they are gone.

Steps to Prevent Intestacy

Steps a person could take right now to avoid dying without a will in Lombard would be to contact an estate planning attorney and to begin that process as soon as possible. It could be a multipart process with a couple of meetings with the attorney to make sure that they get it right. It is important, if they do not want to die without a will, to start the process as soon as possible.

How an Attorney Could Help Prevent Intestacy

To ensure that a person does not die without a will, an estate attorney in Lombard could meet that person halfway. All wills need to be signed, and they need to be witnessed. Many times, the testator or the person looking to generate a will would prepare a will and go through with that first meeting, but they would not get around to signing it. An unsigned will is not admissible in court, so an estate lawyer could follow up with the client to make sure that they get their will signed so they do not die without one.

Let an Attorney Help Prevent Intestacy in Lombard

When life becomes too much, and your health takes priority above all else, meeting with people to draft a will could become unimportant. However, while you may need to focus on your health, it is equally important for the future of your estate and the wishes you have for it to be memorialized formally in writing. The disadvantages to intestacy could prove to not fall in line with your wishes. Let an attorney help you take the steps to avoid intestacy in Lombard. Call today.