Instructions To Write For The Personal Representative That Have Nothing To Do With Your Will

The people who say that probate is a simple process are technically correct.  There is nothing inherently scary or stressful about reading a will, paying debts, closing bank accounts, and issuing checks to the heirs listed in the will.  High conflict probate cases are the exception, rather than the rule, and even if you are not on the best of terms with all of your relatives, they probably are not going to take you by surprise with challenges to the will so outlandish that you have to fact check them just because they are so weird that you can’t imagine anyone making them up.  The probate process itself is not the main reason that being the personal representative of a family member’s estate is so stressful.  Personal representatives must wrap up other matters related to the decedent’s finances and relationships that are not related to the will or under the jurisdiction of the probate court.  By writing detailed instructions for the personal representative of your estate on how to tie up all the loose ends that probate alone will not resolve, you can make his or her task much less stressful.  To find out more about financial matters that can fall through the cracks during probate, contact a Tampa estate planning lawyer.

A Guide to Your Online Afterlife

If your digital assets have a high monetary value, you should include them in your will.  If not, you probably still have opinions about what should happen to them after you are gone.  Therefore, you should write a digital estate plan.  List the passcodes for your online accounts.  Tell the personal representation which accounts you want to cancel, which contain information you want to delete, and what you want to maintain.

Income That Could Come in After Your Death

Some income-generating assets continue to generate income after you are gone, but it is a missed opportunity for your heirs if your personal representative does not know that these assets exist.  Likewise, everyone knows that creditors have the right to collect debt from the estate during probate, but did you know that the reverse is also true?  During probate, the personal representative of your estate can seek repayment of outstanding debts owed to you.  The payment becomes part of the estate, giving your heirs more to inherit.

Funeral Plans

It is a good idea to include a provision in your will about final disposition of remains, that is, cremation or burial.  Elsewhere, you should write more detailed instructions about your wishes for your funeral.  If you have ever seen the drama that goes into planning weddings, which are ostensibly happy occasions, you can imagine how much conflict can arise when bereaved family members plan a funeral.  Writing your funeral plans can preserve family unity as much as writing a will can.

Contact David Toback About the Underrated Aspects of Estate Planning

A Central Florida estate planning lawyer can help you make life easy for the personal representative of your estate.  Contact David Toback in Tampa, Florida to set up a consultation.

Source:

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