Wills for people that are single with no Children – North Carolina Estate Planning
Why is estate planning essential for North Carolinians who are single with no children? It’s understandable that some think it’s a waste of money to hire an attorney to plan their estate when they don’t have immediate family or a substantial amount of assets. However, estate planning is the responsible thing to do, especially if you own a home or have real property.
How property is split if you do not have a Will – Raleigh Wills Lawyer
If you die intestate (without a will), and you are single with no children, all real and personal property will go to your parents, and if they are not alive, your siblings will inherit your estate, and so forth (see NC Property Distribution Chart Below). One of the many benefits of having a will is you can direct your estate where you want it to go, instead of it being disbursed among distant relatives or passed to the state of North Carolina. Most people find that the proceeds of their estate can do a lot more good if it is directed to one person or charity, instead of distributed dozens of ways. The biggest fights we see among family involve situations where several people have common ownership or joint ownership in land, with differing ideas of how to maintain it, what to do with it, and who will pay for what expenses associated with it, like taxes.
If you have a certain charity, friend, or relative to whom you want to devise property, consider the option of leaving your estate, or at least part of it, to them. This simple, considerate measure on your part could save your family from an estate administration nightmare. To discuss having a will or other estate planning documents drafted, call our office at (919) 244-2019 to schedule a complementary estate planning consultation.