Do Young Families Need a Will in Utah?

At Henriksen & Henriksen, we offer a full range of estate planning services for young Utah families. Probably the service young families ask us about most is writing a will. In fact, questions about wills are the main questions we hear from young families. Do young families need a will? Yes!

We believe that, at the very least, every young Utah family should have a will. Ideally, it would be a good idea to have several different estate planning documents. An easy place to start is with a will.

Do Young Families Need Wills in Utah? Definitely!

Unlike many estate planning tools, just about everyone has heard of wills. Part of the reason they are so well known is that they are one of the simplest legal documents you can use to dictate your wishes. A will dictates how you would like your assets to be distributed. We think everyone should have a will. Unfortunately, most don’t have one. But we believe that it’s particularly important for young parents to write a will. Here is why:

1. If you don’t state what you want, the state will decide for you.

It may be worth reading #1 again because it is extremely important to understand. If a person dies in Utah without a legal document stating their wishes, the state is forced to distribute that individual’s assets. While there are laws in place to try to make the process fair, it is still imperfect.  Your spouse, children, and other loved ones may or may not get the assets you want them to.

2. It’s not just about assets – it’s also about who will take care of your children.

For many young families, writing a will is less about assets and more about guardianship. If you have children, a will lets you dictate who will be the guardian of your children. Although it can be hard to choose a guardian – it is for many families – it’s better than letting the state decide.

3. A will gives you peace of mind.

It may seem strange to think about peace of mind while also thinking about death. That’s normal. But the truth is, once you make these hard decisions and put them down in writing, it can be freeing. You can go on to live life the best way you know how. But you also know that if the unexpected happens, your wishes will be honored by others.

We Can Help Write Your Will in Utah

Our Utah estate planning firm can help you with writing your will. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. For a reasonable fee, we can draft something that will stand up to scrutiny. We can also help you make sure you cover all of your bases.

Do young families need wills? Most certainly. And they can get help with those wills at Henriksen & Henriksen. Please call or text us at (801) 521-4145 or fill out our online form for a free consultation!