During college I briefly worked at TGI Friday’s, so the scene in Office Space when Jennifer Aniston’s character is lectured about only having the minimum amount of “flair” on her work uniform was especially amusing to me. (Fun fact: on my first day of work at that restaurant my manager actually threw a to-go container of salad *at me* during a stressful customer interaction, which, I gotta be honest, I do not think the manager of Chotchskie’s would’ve done.)
Anyway do you remember the scene? The manager asks her if she wants to be the kind of person to do the bare minimum. (She does, as it turns out.)
The manager here is not the good guy, I get that, but he does have a point. When it comes to Wills, there are a million ads about easy, fast, cheap options. Fill in your info, badabing badaboom. Very…minimal.
This…might work 🙂 It’s most likely better than nothing, but let’s be honest it’s the minimum. So if you already have a Will from an online company you might consider adding some flair by:
- Confirming that you’ve printed it out and signed it in front of two uninterested witnesses (this means they have nothing to gain from what’s written) who also witness each other’s signature. They must be 18 years old.
- Making sure you’ve waived the bond requirement for your Executor, otherwise you’re setting them up for extra headaches. Think about naming a backup, while you’re at it.
- Storing it in a safe place (fireproof safe) and making sure your Executor knows where it is. A safety deposit box is not a good idea.
An even better idea? Talk to a lawyer who knows the laws in your state and can walk you through how to make your Will work as part of a complete estate plan. What’s that mean? I’ll be walking through typical estate planning documents over the coming weeks here.
Want someone to look at your specific situation and tell you exactly what to do? I can do that too. Just schedule a consultation at http://www.calendly.com/galleslawfirm/peaceofmind.
That would be greaaaaaat.