A Last Will & Testament, commonly referred to as a Will, is a legal document that expresses a person's wishes regarding the distribution of their assets and the management of their affairs after their death. It serves as a written record of how an individual wants their property and belongings to be handled, including who should inherit their assets, who should be appointed as guardians for minor children, and any other specific instructions they may have regarding their final wishes when they are gone.

Many people confuse a Will with a “Living Will” which is a much different document that takes effect while you are alive!

Anyone who has gone through the gauntlet of law school classes or who has had a lot of dealings with attorneys, knows that the most classic and common answer to what would appear to be a straight forward legal question is: it depends. This response is true when it comes to a discussion as to whether or not life insurance proceeds and 401-K Retirement Plans are exempt from attachment by your creditors.

Generally, most people are familiar with the term “probate”. They know that it has something to do with Wills and happens after someone dies. However, what I have found in my 27 years as a practicing attorney, is that it is quite often a mysterious term and that there are many misconceptions about what the probate process actually is and what it entails.

It’s human nature to put off what we IMAGINE will be a difficult experience or if it is something that we just don’t want to think about. In my over 30 years of experience, I have found that MOST PEOPLE, including lawyers, think of estate planning as something that they can do “later”. Unfortunately for many, “later” often becomes “too late.”