Speaking about Inheritence

Especially if you have a stepfamily and want everything divided evenly.

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Especially if you have a stepfamily and want everything divided evenly.

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This becomes an even bigger nightmare. If you have children with other people you better spell everything out in writing.

When DW’s dad died without a will it was rather eye opening. He had to sign some stuff over to his mother.

Correct. We always believed it would go to the surviving spouse but no.

my mom did not have a will. luckily my siblings and kids are all decent humans and not leaches.

I'll get everything my parents leave us, which will be 2 funeral bills.

ETA:

My wife and I are in the process of doing a trust. Her sister will be the custodian. My assumption is if, heaven forbid, both my wife and I die together, our parents are our closest relatives besides our kids. I've got your standard baw life insurance/401k/pension assets for a 44 y/o. I won't take any chances in who raises my 11 y/o daughter for the sake of getting to our assets. Son is 17, so not an issue there.

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do this the right way

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if not living in Louisiana, ignore this.

the chance of you finding a will online that would be effective in Louisiana is about as close to zero as you can imagine. there are 2 basic forms:

Notarial: contains specific attestation clauses and is signed before a notary and two witnesses. for God's sake, have a knowledgeable attorney draft it and act as notary.

Olographic: all handwritten by the person making the will, dated, contains something that sounds like a will (this is my will, at my death I leave x to y) signed at the end. Don't add anything (witnesses, notary, etc.) or you frick it up).

Stop what you're doing right now, write it on a blank paper, give it to the person you trust the most.

Need a horror story?: Nice guy, has some money, a business and land, has a 3rd wife he loves and that treats him like royalty and two sons from the 1st marriage that don't speak much. He's tight with a dollar and wants to leave everything to current wife. He owned all the big ticket items before he married 3, so not community property. he downloads an internet will and takes it to his friendly banker/notary. Banker/notary, is a fricking idiot, says "looks good to me." Not long after, he's killed in a car wreck.

Sons, one a lawyer, contest the will and its obviously invalid. Loving wife #3, who he loved very much, is out on her arse with nothing but her plasma cutter and maybe a welding machine that were gifts.

Go get a will!

We always believed it would go to the surviving spouse but no.

In LA, without a will, parents assets go to kids. So mom ends up owning house w kids, who may or not even be her kids, but his kids.