Formalities That Apply To the Writing of a Bethesda Will 

Writing a will might seem like a straightforward process but there are aspects of writing a will that many people may not know about. Firstly, wills must be written voluntarily. Because of that, attorneys often ask that an individual meets with them alone and without any of the requested or intended beneficiaries. So even if people bring others with them at the meeting, there will usually be a portion of the meeting where the attorneys ask them to go out so they can speak directly to the person writing the will.

Furthermore, there are formalities that apply to the writing of a Bethesda will, that an attorney will want to discuss with you. Because there are a lot of nuisances in drafting and writing a last will and testament, it may be helpful to look to an estates and trust attorney for assistance. Contact a lawyer today and get the help you need. 

Will Format

There is no required format for wills. There are some required provisions and formalities that apply to the writing of a Bethesda will,  with regards to witnesses, but because there is not a standard or statutory format for a last will and testament. Often the creation of a will is left to the knowledge and skill base of the drafter.

There is no requirement that every page has to be checked that the initials are signed. Often, attorneys use that method so that no pages can be inserted into the document or switched out for other pages either after death or during the decedent’s lifetime, but that is not a requirement of Maryland law.

 There is no requirement as to whether or not a will would be stapled. However, once a will is stapled, it is typically advised not to unstaple it. That is why it may be helpful to work with an estates and trusts attorney who understands the provisions, understands what may or should be included, and can guide someone through the drafting process. 

Writing a Will Without an Attorney

A person can write their own will. However, they should be cautious when creating and drafting their last will and testament, because often the provisions, the terminology, and the validity of the will are based on very specific language. There are formalities that apply to the writing of a Bethesda will, so the concept that goes into creating or writing the provisions for a last will and testament can be very complex. 

For example, an individual may say in their will, that they want to leave their car to one sibling and leave the rest of their assets to be divided equally among their other siblings. Without the proper language that individual may not realize that while they have left the car to one sibling, they left the burden of paying any loan on the car to the rest of their siblings.

One sibling would get the car, but the remainder of the siblings would pay out of the estate, thus reducing their share with the loan, meaning that the one sibling would actually get quite a gift while the estate bears the burden of paying the vehicle loan. It may be helpful to work with somebody knowledgeable about creating last wills and testaments. Often estates and trust attorneys are the individuals that are most familiar with drafting estate plans. 

Benefits of Working With a Lawyer

There are a number of benefits of working with an attorney. A lawyer can advise you on what other documents besides the last will and testament may be needed to complete a comprehensive estate plan. Some estate plans are very complex and would require the preparation of multiple documents in addition to a last will and testament. They can also assist with planning for not just death, but also incapacity. An attorney can offer advice with administering plans in the past so that you can make decisions that are based on the real administration of estates.  Get in touch with a lawyer will have knowledge of the formalities that apply to the writing of a Bethesda will, and can guide you through that process.