If married individuals want to ensure that their property is passed on to their loved ones as they wish and their children are cared for, they should create joint wills. A joint will is one document that contains the wills of two individuals.
Joint wills are a great estate planning tool to provide instructions on how to distribute your property when you pass away. Estate planning, including joint wills, can use these estate plans to help ensure their property is kept in their family.
If one of the spouses passes away, the other spouse will inherit their entire estate. When the surviving spouse passes away, the rest of the estate will go to the couple’s children or other named beneficiaries.
During a marriage, especially a longer one, the couple may acquire a large amount of personal and real property, such as homes, jewelry, furniture, and more. They may also accumulate bills, unpaid taxes, and bills. All of this together is called their estate.
If you are considering creating a joint will or having a joint will as part of your estate plan, it is very important to have assistance from a joint will attorney. Joint will lawyers can explain the advantages and disadvantages of joint wills as well as what is important to include in the will.
Your lawyer will draft your joint will according to your wishes and include the directions that you desire for your property or child custody. Your lawyer can also draft other tools and documents, such as trusts, that can be used as part of an estate plan for you and your spouse.
The cost of a joint will lawyer will depend on many different factors. In general, the two main things that influence the cost of a will are whether the individual is creating just a will or an entire estate plan and the fee arrangement the lawyer uses for their services.
On average, the cost of having a lawyer draft a will may range anywhere from $300 to $1,500. Because a joint will is actually two wills in one, there will also likely be additional costs.
The cost may also vary depending on the fee schedule that the lawyer uses to bill their clients and whether they use hourly rates, flat fees, or a combination of both. When an individual is creating an estate plan which includes their will, the lawyer may charge an hourly rate.
Finding the right joint will lawyer for your needs is important for ensuring your wishes are carried out after you pass away. There are certain important qualities to seek in a joint will lawyer, including:
In order to get the most out of your consultation with your joint will lawyer, it is important to prepare before your meeting by:
One of the best ways you can find lawyers for joint wills who meet your needs is using LegalMatch. You could search for, “joint will lawyers near me” or “joint will attorneys near me” online but the results will likely be overwhelming and not very informative.
LegalMatch’s online matching service will connect you with pre-screened lawyers in your area based on your specific needs. Here is how it works:
Using LegalMatch is free and can simplify the process of finding a top-rated joint will lawyer in your area.
Over 7 million people and business have posted cases on LegalMatch
Here are some testimonials from our satisfied clients.