Oldtimr

This!

"I also highly recommend owners keep a log book of there guns, serial numbers, basic info and value/worth, (good for when you pass and some creepy guy try's to scam your family out of them dirt cheap cause they don't know guns value's as you did(
adding a simple picture of said firearm and add on's too helps a ton in insurance claims too!"

Bocajnala

Lots of great advice here and I appreciate it.

To make a will, and supporting documents, legal.... Do they have to be done with a lawyer or filed with a court or notarized or anything like that?

I have a basic will typed up. It's really more of instructions on where certain accounts and insurance policies are and how to access them etc.

Should I be sitting down with a lawyer to get all of this stuff "official"

I'll be working on a spreadsheet with photos attached as some recommended for the guns.

-Jake

mrbb

most states require a will to be filed and or notarized
the more you do to make sure its NOT able to be contested the better
I have seen filed will's get contested when a PERSON shows up with a SO called different WILL, and sadly even seen them win at times, as some times it sadly comes down to who has the most money to fight for things
deaths can really bring out the greed in people and ruin families

so, the more you do to MAKE it so every I is dotted and T crossed the better, and in today's world, I personally have used a lawyer to video tape things, its a LOT harder for a scammer to make a video with different plans that you do if you make one.
My lawyer told me this was rather common anymore, and never been easy, he keeps TWO copy's as do I
its sad we have to do these things, but that's sadly how it goes when folks die more often than you think!

Oldtimr

My wife and I sat down with a lawyer and had a will drawn up. The lawyer has the will registered at the court house and does all the work. They keep a copy the court house keeps a copy and you get a copy. My wife and I decided to make a will so there would be no question about our wishes . I can't tell you how glad I was that my parents had a will. Just make sure you pick a trustworthy person as executor as they will have to carry out the instructions in the will and make important decisions. If you die “intestate.” the laws of the state will make the decisions on how your property is distributed, This includes any bank accounts, securities, real estate, and other assets you own at the time of death. Rather you do it than the state who will take their share.

Bocajnala

OT,

So who do you set as executor? Would that be a lawyer, or??

-jake

Oldtimr

My parents made my two brothers and I co-executors. It was our job to dissolve and disperse the estate. My mother was in a nursing home when she died so we had to reimburse the state for the medicaid they paid after her savings ran out. We sold everything in the house and garage we could sell at a big garage sale except for the nice furniture and some collectables that we put in a consignment shop to sell. What we could not sell or what we didn't want was thrown out. That was the hard part, throwing away your parents belongings. it just seemed wrong. We put the house up for sale and sold it pretty quickly. We did hire the lawyer that did my parents will, to the probate the will at the courthouse and to make sure any outstanding bills they may have had got paid, they didn't have any, my parents were sticklers about not having debt. You must advertise in the local papers asking for anyone that may be owed money to contact the lawyer, they have so many days to speak up or the meter runs out. Once that happens the executor divides what is left of the estate according to the will. in our case it was to be evenly dived between the 3 sons after we paid the lawyer. We didn't get much, we didn't expect to. I would advise having a lawyer to probate the will and take care of the paper work rather than stumble around trying to do it yourself. It is not fun, and I pity anyone who has to deal with an intestate estate because there was no will. We made my daughter our executor, you can use a lawyer but it will cost your heirs money, I think it is better to name someone you trust, after they agree to do it, and then they can use a lawyer for certain things and do dome themselves.

Jenks

States differ on how things are done after someone passes away. If at all possible avoid probate. My father died without a will or trust and his estate was probated--which just makes a lawyer more well-off. My wife and I have our estates in two trusts, we are each other's trustee and our children are successor trustees. It is up to them to dispose of our things and they are the inheritors so they can make up their minds on what they want themselves. Some old family things we have already given to them to insure that they don't get away. A trust keeps the estate out of probate in many states. You can also make an irrevocable trust if you want to protect the estate against Medicaid coming after it but you have to do that 5 years before death(I think, maybe 7 years). Avoid probate, you will be smiling after you pass where ever you are.

alleyyooper

Mostly for insurance reasons I have all that serial number stuff on flash drives. Because I can not guarantee nothing will happen to my home I have given a copy to my daughter who will control my will and another copy in a saftey deposit box at the bank.

Because insurance companys are for the most part crooked (ask flood and other distaster victums what they think) they get a new picture taken and are aprasied by a gun shop every 5 years, cost me about $85.00 last time for 28 shot guns and rifles.

My will spells out where each rifle/shot gun goes, to a person, any not spelled out going to a person is sold along with other property not easly divided.

When you get my age you need several documents to help in the waneing years and a really good lawyer is Key to get them drawn up right. Isn't to bad of an idea for every one to have those paper really and get them up dated as things in your life changes.

Some one who can take charge of medical distions if your not able to make your own choices. This is real important in a DNR type case. Doctors and hospitals love to milk every dine they can get from you.
Is important to make sure the person you chose to handle the DNR orders doesn't waver.


Al

Big Uncle

My own will identifies only a few special items that are to be distributed to certain people. Most of my firearms will be sold by my executor and my modest trophy mount collection will be given to my favorite gun club.

Ridge Runner

gonna will mine to friends and relatives, my daughter isn't interested in them.
RR