A will is a document where you state who gets your stuff when you die. It is an important part of an estate plan.

Since you do not need a will until you are dead and since you cannot write a will when you are dead, it is important to write a will while you are alive. The argument that “I will write a will when I need it” is just an excuse. At death, you will have a will. It is just a question whether you wrote it or the state of Kentucky wrote it for you.

It is important that your will follows the law of Kentucky state. If you need to create a will — and every adult should have one — contact the compassionate, experienced attorneys at Kentucky ElderLaw, PLLC.

If you do not have a will, the state has a will for you. If you die without a will, the assets that would have passed by a will now pass by the laws of intestacy. These are rules that determine the order in which your descendants and others stand in line to inherit all that you own. Your spouse generally receives only a portion of your assets; if there are children, they get the rest.

If you do not have children, your parents are next in line to get portion of assets your spouse does not get. If your parents are not alive, your siblings will inherit that share. If none of the preceding are alive, your spouse gets the other portion. If you do not like that order of things, you should have a will. Writing a will ensures that your assets go where you want them to go.

In addition, many people feel very strongly about leaving something to their church or a charity that has helped them or their family members. The laws of intestacy do not provide for that. You need a will.

Talk to the team at Kentucky ElderLaw, PLLC, to take the first step in creating a will. We have three locations for your convenience. You can reach our Louisville office at 502-581-1111, our Bowling Green office at 270-467-0002 or our Shepherdsville office at 502-955-1005. You can also send our office an email.