Deciding What to Include and Exclude From Your Will

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Blog Family Law

November 2024

When you are creating your Will, you want to be sure you don’t forget anything. You may think you need to include every tiny detail in your Will. After all, your Will is supposed to distribute your estate, care for your loved ones, and name those who will carry out all your most important wishes after your passing. Why wouldn’t you include everything that you can think of?

Here are some details you may decide not to include in your Will:

· Private information: PINs, passwords, access codes and other sensitive details.

· Instructions for your funeral/burial: Wills often are not read until after the funeral has been arranged. Your best approach may be to provide for that in advance if possible.

Identity theft is always a concern, even after your passing. Some identity thieves impersonate deceased people to receive benefits in the dead person’s name, or to use the deceased person’s money for their own purposes. The less personal information that you include in your Will (such as passwords, etc.), the less a potential

identity thief has to work with if they gain access to your Will.

You should seek the assistance of a lawyer well-versed in estate planning processes as you determine what to include and exclude from your Will.

Certain assets may pass outside your estate and therefore outside your Will. Here are some examples:

· Assets that are held jointly with right of survivorship

· Life insurance with beneficiary designations

· Retirement benefits with beneficiary designations You should discuss these issues with your law firm.

How can a LegalShield Membership assist with estate planning?

Creating your Will and other legal documents can be a lengthy, complex process. Knowing what you should and should not include in your Will is important, but sometimes you simply don’t know where to start. That’s why LegalShield is here to assist. For a small monthly fee, you gain access to a LegalShield provider law firm to help review paperwork, prepare a Will, write letters and make phone calls, and provide consultation for your most pressing legal questions. You can use the LegalShield mobile app to fill out a Will questionnaire or, at your request, your provider law firm can provide a paper copy for you to complete.

Reach out to an independent associate to get your membership today.

PPL Legal Care of Canada Corporation (“PPL”) provides access to legal services offered by a network of provider law firms to PPL members through membership-based participation. Neither PPL nor its officers, employees or sales associates directly or indirectly provide legal services, representation, or advice. The information available in this blog is meant to provide general information and is not intended to provide legal advice, render an opinion, or provide any specific recommendations. The blog post is not a substitute for competent legal counsel from a licensed professional lawyer in the state or province where your legal issues exist, and the reader is strongly encouraged to seek legal counsel for your specific legal matter.