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Congratulations on getting started on your will--it's easy with Nolo’s Online Will. We'll ask you a series of simple questions and design a will for you based on your answers. You should be able to finish your will in less than an hour, without hiring a lawyer. You'll have help and guidance every step
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Is Nolo's Online Will Right for You?
Nolo’s Online Will provides a basic will that works for many people. It is private, easy-to-make, and low-cost. But it isn’t for everyone. Our will might not be right for you if you have: complicated property (for example, a shared business) difficult family relationships (for example, you’re
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What The WillMaker Will Can Do
Here is a quick survey of what you can and cannot do with the WillMaker Will. Each topic is discussed in greater detail in the on-screen help as you make your will. (And here is some information about What WillMaker's Will Cannot Do.) Tailor Your Will to Your Needs WillMaker provides you with unique
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What the WillMaker Will Cannot Do
WillMaker allows you to produce a valid and effective will designed to meet most needs. But there are some restrictions built into the program. Some of the restrictions are designed to prevent you from writing in conditions that may not be legally valid. Others are intended to keep the program simple
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To start your will with Nolo’s Online Will, you’ll enter your name and indicate your gender. This might seem straight forward, but it’s not clear in every situation. Here’s a little more information that should answer any questions. Your Name Your name is needed here to identify you and all the
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Becoming a parent is what may have motivated you to buckle down to the task of writing your will in the first place. If you are the parent of young children, your will is the perfect place to address some driving concerns you are likely to have if you die before they are grown. These concerns include:
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When making your will with Nolo's Online Will, you may have some questions about how to choose your marital status. Here is some information that might help you make your decision. Legal Marriages To be legally married in most states, you must take part in a ceremony with a legal or religious official
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When you make Nolo’s Online Will, you should name an executor to wrap up your estate. After your death, that person will have legal responsibility for safe guarding and handling your property, seeing that debts and taxes are paid and distributing what is left to your beneficiaries as your will directs.
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Glancing through the list of the executor’s duties should tip you off about who might be the best person for the job. The prime characteristics are honesty, skill at organizing and finesse in keeping track of details. For many tasks, such as collecting mail and finding important records and papers,
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While you cannot provide your Social Security number (SSN) in your Nolo’s Online Will, you should find another way to securely provide this information to your executor. Why Provide Your Social Security Number There are good reasons to provide your Social Security number in the letter to your executor.
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Your Spouse's Right to Inherit From You
If you intend to leave your spouse or registered domestic partner very little or no property, you may run into some legal roadblocks. All common law property states protect a surviving spouse or partner from being completely disinherited—and most assure that a spouse has the right to receive a substantial
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The first part of making a specific bequest in your Nolo’s Online Will is to describe the property you want to pass to the beneficiary or beneficiaries you have in mind. When describing an item, be as concise as you can, but use enough detail so that people will be able to identify and find the property.
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Should You Provide Property Management in Your Will?
After you have decided who will get your property, Nolo’s Online Will asks you whether you want to create property management for young beneficiaries. First, consider whether any of your beneficiaries need someone to manage the property for them. For example, think about the each beneficiary's: age
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Creating a Child's Trust in Your Will
When you make a will with Nolo’s Online Will, you can set up property management for young beneficiaries who cannot or should not receive the property outright until they are older. One of your options for property management is to create a child’s trust for your minor beneficiaries. A child's trust
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Examples of Property Management
Here are some examples of how Nolo’s Online Will property management options might be selected. The following scenarios are only intended as suggestions. Remember, if you live in South Carolina, you cannot create a UTMA custodianship. EXAMPLE 1: Married, adult children age 25 and older. You want to
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Life wreaks havoc on even the best-laid plans and changes in your life affect what you include in your will and what laws will be applied to enforce it. You may sell one house and buy another. You may divorce. You may have or adopt children. Eventually you will face the grief of losing a loved one. Not
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After you have proceeded through all of Nolo’s Online Will screens and responded to all the questions the program poses, your will is nearly finished. There are just a few more steps you must take to make it legally effective so that the directions you expressed in it can be carried out after your
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When working on your will with Nolo’s Online Will, you may find that you want to explain certain things to your loved ones. For example, you may want to let them know why you left a large gift to charity, why you named your sister (and not your brother) to look after your child’s finances, or where