August 2026:

The MLO Minute: “August is National Make a Will Month!” —

By Jennifer Simons, Esq., Attorney in the Estates and Trusts Department —

As the summer comes to a close and we head into the fall, now is a good time to review important estate planning documents before the holidays are upon us and schedules become hectic with social and family gatherings. The month of August is known as National Make a Will Month. A Will is probably one of the most important estate planning documents to have, and one of the documents that many people do not have. If you do not already have a Will in place, now is the time to make a Will or review your current Will if you already have one.

A Will is a document where you direct how your assets are to be distributed upon your death. If a person does not have a Will, their assets will be distributed according to the intestacy laws of Pennsylvania, which may not be in accordance with your wishes. Without a Will your assets may go to remote family members in lieu of other beneficiaries of your choosing.  A Will can be very simple depending on your estate and your wishes. Not only does a Will direct how the assets are to be distributed, but it also provides other important information, such as whether your beneficiaries will receive their inheritance outright or held in trust, who will be the executor of your estate, and who will be guardian of any minor children if both parents pass away. A court would still ultimately approve any named guardian in your Will, but in most cases will honor the parent’s wishes barring a guardian whom a court deems is unsuitable. If a guardian is not named in your Will, a court will appoint a guardian, who may not have been your preference. In short, by executing a Will, you get to make all of these decisions rather than the court or the law.

If you already have a Will, it is important to review it periodically to make sure that it still reflects your wishes. This is especially important if there have been any major life changes, such as births, deaths, marriage, divorce, change in finances, etc. Some things to consider when reviewing your Will are whether the people that you have currently named as executor, trustee or guardian are still appropriate or still living.

It is easy to procrastinate in making a Will, but it is an important document to have, and the process need not be complicated or time consuming. Our estate planning attorneys can assist in creating a new Will or making updates to your current Will or estate plan. Click here to CONTACT US today!