Will
What is it?
Wills are legal documents that explain what you want done with your property and the care of your dependents (minor children or family members you are legally responsible for) when you die.
You are not required to have a lawyer to complete a Will. Wills are difficult document that requires a high level of understanding to complete correctly. However, the ideas in the Will should be yours. You can ask someone to help you think about all the things you want to happen after you die: Do you have things that you want to give to family members and friends because they are important to you? What do you want to happen to your home? What should be done with your savings? You can say you want it to go to a family member or even to a charity.
Disability Rights TN strongly recommends talking with a lawyer to help with completing these documents. To complete a Will you must meet the legal requirements of your state to be valid. In Tennessee it is required that the person making the Will:
- Must be 18 years old or older
- Be able to understand to understand the benefits, risks and choices and make a decision and share your decision; lawyers call this capacity.
- The Will must be in writing and signed by the person making the Will
- Two people must sign that they have witnessed the signature of the person signing the Will.
What does the law say?
You can read the law in Tennessee Code Annotated Title 32 Chapter 1 Section 102-106
How do I learn more?
You are not required to have a lawyer to complete a Will. However, Disability Rights TN strongly recommends talking with a lawyer to help with completing these documents. If you would like more information or want to talk to a lawyer contact Disability Rights Tennessee call 1(800) 342-1660.