Wills
Make Your Wishes Clear
A will is one of the basic building blocks of an estate plan. It allows you to state how you want certain property distributed after your death and designate the person you want to serve as executor of your estate.
Without a will, Tennessee's laws of intestate succession determine how certain assets are distributed. Those rules may not reflect what you would have chosen for your family.
A carefully prepared will can address important questions, including:
Who should receive your property?
Who should handle your estate?
Who should inherit if a beneficiary dies before you?
How should property be handled for minor children?
Should a trust be established for a child or other beneficiary?
Does a family member have special needs that require additional planning?
A will is only one part of an estate plan. Depending on your circumstances, planning may also involve trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and other legal arrangements.
When Your Family Has More Complex Needs
Life does not always fit neatly into a standard estate plan. Blended families, disabled beneficiaries, significant assets, property in multiple states, or concerns about incapacity may require additional planning.
Our attorneys can help you understand how a will fits into your overall plan and whether other planning tools may be appropriate.
For a more detailed discussion of wills, including what happens when someone dies without a will and how Tennessee law affects the distribution of an estate, read Wills: What You Need to Know in Tennessee.