Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Truth about Wills



We are sure everyone has heard about those little things called Wills. Wills have been around for years. You’re also all aware that smart legal people have been building people’s faith that Wills keep family heirlooms in the family. And of course everyone understands how gracious and kind-hearted those smart legal people are to make Wills affordable for everyone. We all buy into this right? WRONG, only those who have NOT been punched in the kisser by Probate Court still buy into this grand deception that Wills are the best tool to pass your assets on to your heirs.

We at NexStep Innovations have heard the stories of probate court told so many times; they are all devastatingly sad, riddled with family assets being liquidated to cover estate taxes, loved ones coming to blows over who got what or suing each other over dollars, families financially ruined due to the cost of having a smart legal person represent them in probate court.

The Secret Truth: A Will is a bunch of useless papers. It doesn’t prevent the estate’s assets from being frozen for months or years. It doesn’t provide clear direction for the distribution of assets. A Will can be contested by beneficiaries. A Will doesn’t give medical people directions in emergencies when loved ones are emotionally unable to make clear medical decisions. A Will doesn’t provide for additional beneficiaries. A Will doesn’t provide a roof, clothing or food for minor children. It doesn’t protect from divorces or future divorces, and estate assets are not protected from legal actions.

Wills are cheap for a reason; smart legal people make more money representing your beneficiaries in probate court than implementing strong legacy planning. So it may cost you $99.00 to have a legal person draft a Will; however, it can cost Thousands for that same legal person to represent your beneficiaries in court.


Many people out there don’t know what probate court is, so we want to briefly explain. Probate Court determines the total value of your assets after you are no long living. The Court will then determine the total amount of estate taxes the estate will pay and bill the estate for the service of determining the total value of your assets. The Court will then liquidate whatever assets are needed to cover the owed taxes, court fees and your family’s smart legal person’s fees.

NexStep Innovations LLC believes that the fundamental intentions of a Will are good; however, the implementation, protection and misrepresentation by the legal person of the Will are bad. In truth we do not promote one specific vehicle for everyone when it comes to building and protecting your assets. We believe in creating customized strategies that are specific to you, your beneficiaries and your assets.

If you wish to discover the best ways to protect you, please contact us.

No comments: