I remember once being told that if you place your hand in a bucket of water you cannot distinguish which water droplets are touching your hand and which are not until you pull your hand out and some of the water follows your hand out of the bucket and then drips on the floor. In truth, it is not possible to know which things will change when something is suddenly withdrawn from us, we just know for certain that something will change.
So it is with family and friends when someone passes away. Some are relieved, some are heartbroken, some are amused, and some are bewildered. In fact, the emotional response to someone passing maybe any of these or a thousand more. It is just not possible to know.
This is why the Probate system is so slow, pain staking, and thorough. It is because experience over millennia has taught us that we just cannot know how people will respond. It has taught us that notice to everyone, accounting, and open dealing are the best rules to follow when disposing of the worldly belongings of a departed person.
Everyone has the ability to help reduce the stress, worry and pain of loss by simply stating their desires in a competently drawn Last Will and Testament. More than any tax reason, more than any perceived need to express favor, a Last Will and Testament is necessary simply to reduce the variables, quiet the noise around someone’s passing. It is a kindness you can do for those you leave behind.
This article is written by an attorney at Attorney Donald Wyatt PC. Always consult an attorney before making any legal decisions. To make an appointment today, please click here to contact us.