Planning for your Will

It’s 2023. People are still fighting about whether or not the virus is a hoax or not. Even at the point where people were dying in the hospital, others still proclaimed that the Covid-19 pandemic was a “plandemic.” This is inspite of the fact that humanity has gone through several periods of widespread disease before: influenza and the black plague are just a few examples.  Teachers who were still teaching in class at this time were insulted and berated for panicking and drawing up their Wills. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to confront their own mortality and take steps to prepare for the worst. For teachers, the pandemic brought a unique set of challenges, including the risk of exposure to the virus in schools and the uncertainty of what would happen to their students if they became ill or died.

As a result, many teachers found themselves making wills for the first time. In some cases, they did so out of a sense of responsibility to their students and their own families. They wanted to ensure that their wishes were clear and that their loved ones would be taken care of if the worst happened.

In other cases, teachers made wills because they were worried about the legal and financial implications of becoming ill or dying during the pandemic. They wanted to make sure that their assets were distributed according to their wishes and that their loved ones would not be burdened with legal or financial issues in their absence.

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of having a clear and comprehensive estate plan. This includes not only a will but also other documents such as a power of attorney and a living will. These documents can ensure that a person’s wishes are respected if they become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for themselves.

While it’s understandable that many teachers felt a sense of urgency to make wills during the pandemic, it’s important to remember that estate planning is an ongoing process. As life circumstances change, it’s important to update and revise one’s estate plan to reflect new priorities and needs.

Overall, the pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. Making a will is one way to ensure that our wishes are respected and our loved ones are taken care of if the worst happens.

You can read more about this here:  Teachers creating their Wills

Have you looked into the process of creating your own Will yet? If so, you may have looked at the various options of creating your Will through online software. Have you looked into “free” vs paid Will software? Have you noticed a difference? A “free” Will website may offer you the chance to do a Will for free, but at what cost? The type of Wills created through “free” websites may be very basic and not offer enough flexibility and comprehensiveness for your Will. These types of Wills may not cover all of the situations you want covered in your Will. 

When going through websites which offer “free” Wills, they may try to have you subscribe to a monthly subscription to access a “free” Will, or have you fill out information on the basis that the Will is free, but block you from seeing the end result with a paywall (i.e. you are made to think that your Will is free because you can start typing right away, but it really is not). Additionally, how do you know that by going through a “free” Will website, that the finished product is good quality? You do not only want a free fill-in-the-blank Will template, but you  most likely want guidance while going through your Will (i.e. an explanation of what certain words mean, and instructions of what is supposed to happen once you complete your Will). 

If you do not want to go through a lawyer and need an inexpensive option, then why not try a paid option through Will software? With a paid software option, you are more likely to get a better quality Will, with the thought, time and effort that goes into creating a genuine product. Moreover, there is most likely a guide which shows you how to go through the questions and how to answer the questions. If you are creating a Will, and you decide to use a paid, rather than a “free” version, you may want to look out for the following: an online Will software which guides you through the process of creating a Will, explains the order of questions you need to follow to complete your Will, explains everything clearly, and explains what you need to do when you have completed your Will. The average person has a home, a spouse, children, a few bank accounts, a vehicle, investments, and valuable personal property. Therefore, writing a Will doesn’t have to be complicated through online will software, and you can create a Will suitable for where you live. Unless your situation is extremely complex, you can write your Will online. You may want to look at  FormalWill as a possible option to create your Will.

Have you thought about doing your Will through a Legal Will kit? If so, what option are you thinking of using? You can use an online “free” Will template, but are you sure you’re getting the best quality using a “free” Will software? Does it provide all of the information you need to know on how to create a Will, or make it valid in your area once you have completed it? Is a “free” Will even free? There are many “free” Will templates out there that are not actually free; in some cases, once you start entering your information into a “free” online Will template, you reach a paywall before your Will can be generated.   Additionally, if you use a “free” Will template, do you know that your email or information will be safe?

An alternative to using a “free Will” could be a Legal Will kit you could pick up in a store, but you would have to be careful when looking at that option as well. Does a Will kit that comes with a CD-rom or a book have all of the necessary updates and kept current? A Will kit that comes with a CD-rom is obsolete technology, and may not be updated the way online Will software is. In addition, when you purchase a product that you insert (i.e. a Will CD-Rom) or a Will template that you have to download, you don’t know if that product is compatible with your operating system. You may be purchasing something that is completely incompatible with your operating system.

If you wanted to create a Will that is more than likely to be kept up to date and easy to create, why not consider creating a Legal Will online, rather than a Legal Will kit you purchase from a store? Will software online is much easier to keep updated, and there is no downloading, or insertion of CD-roms into your computer. You are also able to easily print off your Will right away. If you create your Will using an online account, that can secure any information you input easier. You may also want to choose an option to create a Will, where the software has been created by individuals who are knowledgeable in the area of law. That way, you know for certain that you are getting good quality. Generally, you may want a type of software which looks after your needs, has a comprehensive online Will form to answer questions, and explains legal terminology, has you answer questions in a specific order, generates your document for you, and shows you what to do once you have created your Will. You may want to shop for options online before deciding which software to go with. FormalWill is one such option you may want to investigate.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably thinking about creating a Will, and you may be weighing your options. There are different ways to create your Will: you can use a DIY Will kit from a store, a hand-written Will, or you can use online Will software. Creating a Will may appear daunting at first, and you may not know how to go through the entire process. But once you choose the best option to create your Will, it becomes easier.

The basics of a Will encompass the following: all of things in your estate (any property, savings, investments, charities, gifts, etc.), specific gifts you are leaving behind to various individuals of your choosing, guardianship, leaving items in trust, and any charitable donations you may want to leave behind. Those are the types of things you want to think about while creating a Will. Drafting a Will includes the following information about you: your Executor and your relationship to the person (the Executor  distributes your assets to your beneficiaries), a Guardian for any underage children, and if you want a Trust for said underage children. For instance, if you bequeath a house or a cottage to your spouse, who would inherit that piece of property if your spouse dies and you are not around?

When it comes to online Wills, it’s an inexpensive alternative to using a lawyer, who may charge hundreds (or potentially more) to draft up your Will. There are options to assist you with Will creation, but you want to make sure that the software you are thinking of using is comprehensive and fits your needs. You may want to first start by writing a list of items you own (your inventory list). Once that is complete, you may want to look at what type of software you’re looking to get: are you looking to get a CD-ROM do-it-yourself Will kit, or use an online software? Either choice may work for you, but keep in mind that the first option may be outdated. It is not unusual for people to complain that the CD-rom Will software they purchased is outdated for their operating system. An online type of software for Wills, on the other hand, is easier to update. If you use online software, you have a better chance of having a Will that is current.

If the software you have chosen is entirely online, you can usually test it out to see if it works for you. You may either have to create an online account (you can usually do this for free), or you can just jump right into the online Will order form. Creating an account may keep the information more secure. You will want to use a software that is more comprehensive than a simplistic blank-fill-in-the-form template; it should guide you through the process of creating a Will online. For instance, the online Will order form should explain legal terminology, guide you through the process of creating a Will (e.g. explaining the order of how things need to be filled out), help you through the important questions  to  answer (i.e. personal information, information about your Executor, the beneficiaries of your estate, specific gifts you are leaving behind, charitable donations, Guardian(s), and if you would like to setup any trusts for said underage children.

All of this shows that you may want to use inexpensive software to create your Will if you want a comprehensive document. If you want legal advice, you may want to seek out a lawyer to draft up your Will. However, using a software for Wills may be best if you have a straightforward situation. If you’re looking for an option to create a will online, you may want to try FormalWill.