Will Preparation in Cleveland, Ohio

Find the right Will Preparation attorney in Cleveland, OH

Most of the issues that can pop up with wills in Cleveland, Ohio, like challenges to the will's validity, can be avoided if the will is well-drafted in the first place.

If your estate doesn't contain a lot of money and property, and you only want to leave your assets to a few individuals, making a will can be pretty simple.

However even with "simple" wills, some easily-avoidable problems come up more commonly than they need to. A seasoned Cleveland, Ohio attorney can help you avoid these problems with careful will preparation.

With most wills, certain formalities have to be followed in the drafting process or will preparation, or else the will might not be legitimate. In general, these formalities exist with the goal of making fraud more challenging. The requirements for a will to be valid are pretty simple, but it's still possible to make mistakes in attempting to follow them. Most especially, you should know that a will must contain a provision stating that the person making it is of sound mind, and really intends the document to be a will. Furthermore, the laws of most states require that wills be witnessed and signed by at least 2 neutral parties.

Holographic Wills in Cleveland, Ohio

If you need to make a will quickly, some states authorize you to write a "holographic will." This is simply a will which the testator hand-writes. These types of wills don't need to be witnessed.

If holographic wills are valid in your state, courts will, as with any will, have to figure out what is really being said, and resolve ambiguities. Because holographic wills are not always written under ideal conditions, they have to be interpreted very liberally, so they can be given effect and not fail for technical reasons.

You should know that not all states recognize holographic wills. Of course, you could still handwrite your will if you desire; but to be legitimate, it would have to be accompanied by all of the formalities (witnesses being the big one) of any other will.

If your state authorizes them, a holographic will might be a good way to go in some cases. For instance, if you don't have an unusually large amount of money, and simply want to leave your assets to close family members, or even to a single person (such as a spouse), it probably wouldn't be a problem. Nonetheless, even in cases like this, it's never a bad idea to make a will with the help of a lawyer.

How Can A Cleveland, Ohio Lawyer Help?

Because of the formalities that are required for most wills to be valid, it is normally a good idea to have a Cleveland, Ohio attorney help you make it, or at least go over it after you have written it, to make sure there aren't any problems with it.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Cleveland

Cleveland, or "The Forest City," is the county seat of Cuyahoga County and best known for playing host to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As the State of Ohio's second largest city, Cleveland's economy is highly reliant upon its central position and convenient access to local ports, waterways, and rail lines. The Cuyahoga River, Lake Eerie, as well as the Ohio and Eerie Canals make up the main access routes by ship. Cleveland is a major producer and exporter of steel and other mass produced goods. The recent upturn in the Cleveland technology companies has attracted new major employers like Applied Industrial Technologies, KeyCorp, and the Glenn Research Center.

A few other notable businesses located in Cleveland include Sherwin Williams Company, NASA, and Forest City Enterprises. There are also a number of notable medical facilities like the Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic is ranked in the best U.S. hospitals by U.S. News World Report. The American Public Transportation Association named the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority the best mass transit system in the United States. Guns n' Roses star Steven Addler, Price is Right host Drew Carey, Tracy Chapman, director Wes Craven, rapper Kid Cudi, author Toni Morrison, and gold medalist Jesse Owens are all Cleveland natives. Needless to say, it's a diverse city. One way the diversity has positively manifested is with the local cuisine. Cleveland plays host to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world. Chef Michael Symon who was named a Food Network Iron Chef.

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