Matthew W. Lucas
Attorney at Law

703.821.5522		e-mail: mlucas@cs.net

WHY DO I NEED A WILL?

When my father died without a will, I got one half of his small estate and my mother the other half. The full estate was sufficient to support us (I was three at the time), but the division created problems:

Mother had to get court permission before she could expend any of my funds for me. Finally, in desperation she got court permission to buy Series E Bonds with my assets to avoid the annual filings. She then got a job to support us. This could have been avoided if Dad had a will.

A will gives you move control and protects your heirs.

A will insures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes.
It can be as simple or as complex as you desire.
Without a will the state determines who gets your property and in what amounts. [For instance, in Virginia all property goes to the surviving spouse if there are no children. If there are children, one half goes to the surviving spouse and the remainder is divided equally among the surviving children.]
When all is said and done, a Will is a final thoughtful act for those who have to tackle the cold, cruel world later. Besides greater convenience for the loved ones, it usually cuts costs and taxes.

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