Free Fillable Washington Last Will and Testament Form

A Washington last will and testament is a document that helps organize your life’s belongings. It helps create a plan that will keep everyone safe and allow you to choose who your belongings will go to. Anything that you own, whether financial or material, is yours to distribute as you like, as long as you consider a few things in the last will and testament form.

All property that you choose to distribute must be yours and yours only, and it cannot include any kind of joint properties.
Your spouse has a say in what happens to your things, having shared a life with you. They have the right to overturn any paperwork you have filed if one of the properties you distributed had shared ownership.
Children are also entitled to a piece of your estate, something you will have to consider when distributing your properties.

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Free Fillable Washington Last Will and Testament Form

Do I Need a Will?

A will is not mandatory. It is something that anyone of legal age can choose to create. Though it is not required, a will is something that everyone should consider, especially when it comes to their things. With a will, you’re taking pressure off of your family, letting them know exactly what you want. It is already hard enough to lose those you love, and without a will, your family and friends may be left to juggle all of your final plans.

Think about all your belongings that you have worked so hard for, taking into account the fact that you want them to get into the right hands even when you’re not around to do it. You have the right to determine your assets’ distribution, writing it out and specifying particular things that you want to go to your chosen loved ones.

Getting the Process Started

A will is not something that automatically takes place, needing the help of an executor that can start the entire process and get things rolling. When you choose your executor, and perhaps an alternate as well, think about someone in your life that is known to take charge. They will be the ones to start the probate process, overseeing that all your plans play out the way you want. If they cannot be there for any reason, think about choosing a back up as well.

According to Washington State Legislature Chapter 11, section 12, assets that are smaller than $100,000 can opt for a speedy process, one where the executor can get things rolling without having to set a court date or even get the court involved.

Creating a Last Will and Testament

When you’re ready, you must make sure of two things. 1. That you are of legal age, and 2. That you are in your right mind. As long as these two things check out, you can start the process of creating a will, starting with gathering together all the necessary people and paperwork. As mentioned, you need an executor and an alternate, as this is one of the most critical choices when creating a last will. You will also need a handwritten list of all your chosen beneficiaries and the properties that you wish them to have.

When it comes time to legalize the paperwork, you will need to hold off on signing, making sure that you sign and data in the presence of two witnesses. Once all is done, save the documents and visit a family attorney to ask questions about the process or the paperwork.

Can I Make Changes to My Will In The Future?

If there are ever any changes that need to be made, testators can revoke by visiting a family attorney or changing any aspects by adding an affidavit. Also, creating a whole new will eliminates the previous will’s legality and is another way to tweak and change any specifics.

Create Yours Today

You can find a form on our website with all the things you need to fill out, plus a detailed description of all the things you need to gather together beforehand. Don’t let your property get tossed around. Ensure you have a say in who gets them and how they will get them by creating a last will.

What If I Die Without A Will?

Without a will, the state takes over and puts your belongings into what is called intestacy. When this happens, the spouse gets everything and can then decide what happens with your things after. If there are children, properties are split between them and take care of the entire process, and all is said and done. However, if this is not the case and you have neither a spouse nor children, your things will go from person to person until someone is found that is the closest relative.

Everything gets tossed around from person to person until someone is there to inherit. It is not a good feeling to think that all the things you have worked so hard for could be tossed around until someone takes care of them. Instead, when you create a Washington last will and testament, you’re securing your belongings so that that doesn’t happen.