How to create a free online will yourself - Easy online will and testament making for dummies

Making a will is something each and every single one of us should consider doing at one stage or another in our lifes, but let's face it, it is not a very pleasant feeling, knowing that you're planning your own death. Scary, i know ! If you die without having a will, this will result in the court distributing all your assest according to the state laws. A will is basically something that can protect your family and assets in the event of your passing. Let me teach you how to create a will online or offline:

If you own any assets or property, then the best thing for you to do is to create a will, in order to make sure that your property or assets gets handed over to a family member or anyone close to you, in the event of your death. Your properties get distributed to your close one according to the way you prefer and state it in your last will and testimony. A will that is legally valid ensures that your family and dependants don't need to go to court and fight unnecessarily for their share of your property and assets.

You can allocate your assets to your close ones in proportion to their needs, by making a will. A good example would be, if you have a child who is handicapped physically, you would be able to hand over a share of your property to him that is much higher compared to another child, who is healthy, well educated and settled well in life for many years to come. If you do not have a last will and testament, then this opportunity would not be possible due to the fact that both children, as the law states, will have the right to claim the same amount of shares to your propery after your death. Take note that the laws may differ from state to state and country to country.

A will becomes more important and needed in the case of a complex family structure, such as a disloyal partner eloping with another person, leaving his/her partner without a legal divorce, more then one marriage, children born out of multiple wedlock, etc. Without a will, some relatives can legally stake their claims for their share of the property after the death of the individual.

The one major role of a will is making a legal gaurdian for any minors who might be left with no surviving parent after your death. There are many times when an individual will agree to be the gaurdian of the child just so that he/she/they can enjoy your wealth and leave the child suffering. By creating a will, legal gaurdianship will be left for you to decide.

In your will and testament you could do almost anything with your money and assets, such as, donating a piece of land to your favourite charity, or if you have a friend who helped you pay off your debt and they never asked for repayment and you would like to put them in your will for what they gave you, all you need to do is create a will and state so.

Even if you have property or investments that are hidden intentionally from family member and friends, you can mention them in your will.

So if you do not have a will, this is your opportunity to learn how to create a will yourself with these easy steps:

How to create a will - The requirements of making a will online and offline

You must be over 18 years of age in order to make a will. This condition is basic and is applied to the majority of countries. It is, however, possible that some permissible deviations in a few.

Being mentally competent is required. The purpose of making the will and all the information of your properties, assets as well as the nature of your relationship or association with the persons of which you are leaving behind the properties or assets to, is well know to you. The witness that will be signing your will has to stand testimony to your mental health for any dispute event that may occur in future.

It is good, however, to get a doctor's certificate to confirm the wellness of your mental health and attach it to your will if you notice any problems of somebody questioning your mental competence.

The will must be signed and in written form. It is compulsary that the will is written or typed, as well as signed by you with 2 present witnesses. Your left hand thumb impression, off an ink pad, must be placed if you are unlettered. When signing is not possible, then a signatory that is authorized by you in the will document, is allowed to sign on your behalf.

If a will is voice recorded or captured in a video and not made in writing, will not be legally sustainable in an event of a future dispute. A video recording of the will being read out from a document that is written, may be helpful only as an additional supportive, and not as an original document. There are some states, however, where videos are not accepted as evidence at all.

Personal information must be provided. The will should include information such as, your full name, full address, occupation and marital status.

Any 'old wills' must be revoked. State that this is the latest will that revokes any will that was written before, in case this is a "Revised Will".

Make a list of your properties and their distribution. You need to make a clear statement about all of your movable and immovable properties with the necessary identification of every property, including information such as, its location, document number, etc. State clearly which are given, gifted to, bequeathed or shared with which persons, as well as what proportions and quantities are shared.

Specify the guardians. In the case of their being minors, state their guardians, as well as the limit of their rights to the usage of the properties of the minors.

Specify the executors: In the case of the will being executed under the supervision of executors and trustees, provide the names and other particulars of the executor and trustees.

Clearly state your 'last wishes'. In the case of you wanting to leave some instructions about your funeral or the way of disposal of your body, then clearly state them! In the case of you having disinherited a son or daughter who you state should not make a claim to your properties, state the reasons why you took this action.

Signed by 2 witnesses. The will has to be signed by you with 2 present witnesses, who are willing to give legal testimony to your having signed the will with mental competence. They are expected to sign the will again, in your presence and the other witnesses' presence. Their names and addresses have to be stated clearly in the will. It is also important to know that the witness may not be part of the beneficiaries in the will.

If you would prefer, you may use the service of a lawyer, although not compulsary, if you feel that there are complicated issues and it is better to avoid possible future legal complications. Thousands of people make use of an attorney to make a will for them.

Here are a few steps to create a will:

In order to see if a simple will or a living trust is needed, consult with an estate-planning lawyer. You are more than welcome to write your own, althought it is contested more easily, in the case of a disgruntled family member wanting to fight it.

You could also make a will online. Visiting Nolo Press Willmaker, nolo.com, provides, not only wills, but everything necessary to make living trust, health care directives and financial power of attorney. A great opportunity for those who prefer to make a will online.

Organize everything! Outline all of your objectives, workout your outstanding debts to an estimation,do inventory on your assets and make a list of family members and other beneficiaries. You also need to clearly state the relationship you have to everyone in the will.

The following elements should be included in your will:

The name of a guardian for your child, (if you have any). The role of guardianship is usually handed over to a surviving parent but if you are a single parent or if your partner, family members or parents are not able to care for your children, you will need to name a guardian. The guardian needs to be at least 18 years of age.

The name of an executor who will oversee the distribution of your assets as stated in your will. It is recommended that you choose a family member, a trusted friend or an attorney. A trust company that is named as an executor is able to keep your will and execute your wishes after your death.

You must update your will when it is necessary. Reasons for updating your will include, changes in marital status, the birth of a child or moving to a new state. After you have created a new will, it is important that you destroy the old one.

You should consider a living will. This will enables your loved one to know what type of care you wish to receive in the event that you become terminally ill. It becomes useful when you are no longer able to express your wishes yourself. You should then give your family members a copy of the will that has been signed.