Tampa Wills Lawyer

Creating a will is a standard part of any estate plan. At Bubley & Bubley, P.A., our team can listen to you describe your estate planning goals and then craft the right will for your needs. Call us today. Wills are not the most complex legal document you can create, but you should give sufficient thought as to who you want to inherit from you and who you want to serve as your personal representative. A Tampa wills lawyer is eager to help you create a strong estate plan, so call our firm today.

Create the Right Will

Most people use a will to dispose of their estate assets after death. However, you can also use a will to name guardians for your minor children and identify a person to serve as your estate’s personal representative. This individual has a critical role in probate, including keeping your assets safe and possibly defending your estate from a lawsuit.

We recommend avoiding Do-It-Yourself will preparation programs or software, since they can’t provide the type of advice you need to create a will. Fill-in-the-blank forms and computer programs might generate a will that won’t stand up in probate court when you are gone.

We can use a will to leave probated assets to individuals and charities. Many people want to leave their assets to their children, but you have the right to decide who will inherit from you. Florida law allows you to disinherit your children if you want. However, it’s much harder to disinherit a spouse unless he or she agrees in a pre- or postnuptial agreement.

A valid will in Florida must satisfy certain formalities:

• Your will must be written;
• You must be at least 18 years of age;
• You must sign your will or have someone else sign for you upon your request;
• Two witnesses must attest that you signed the will, and they should also sign the will in front of you and each other.

If your will fails to follow the law, then a probate judge will reject it. That means your assets would pass through intestacy, and the court might appoint someone you don’t want to serve as your personal representative. When people rush and create a faulty will, they lose control of what happens. Even worse, it’s too late to create a new one.

Bubley & Bubley, P.A., can help you create a will that satisfies legal requirements. A will should work in harmony with other elements of an estate plan, such as a trust and non-probate assets (like life insurance). Not every asset you own will go through probate, so it won’t be included in a will. Still, you might think about these non-probate assets when deciding how to divide your estate. Let’s talk about your goals.

Decades of Experience in Tampa Estate Planning

Call our law firm today to speak with an experienced Tampa wills lawyer about your estate planning goals. We can ensure your will works along with a trust and other legal documents.