What Will Happen to My Property if I Die Without a Will or Trust in Bellevue?

Do you have a will or trust in place? If so, you don’t have anything to worry about regarding what will happen to your property when you die. Everything is clearly laid out, ensuring that the appropriate people eventually receive your property.

On the other side of things, there are those who do not have any will or trust. If this sounds familiar, you have some work to do in the near future. You don’t want this weighing on your mind, especially as you continue to age.

If you don’t have a will or trust upon passing away, the laws set forth by your state will determine what happens to your property. While this may end up working out in the favor of your beneficiaries, it is better to be safe than sorry. Why would you want to put the fate of your property in the state’s hands when you don’t have to?

Generally speaking, if you die without a will or trust in Bellevue, your property will go to your spouse and children.

In the event that you have no spouse or children, you can expect the property to go to your closest relative.

What if no relatives can be found? This is when things get interesting. Most of the time, this results in your property going to the state.

As important as it may be to consider what will happen to your property in the event of your death, there may be something else on your mind: your children.

If your children are too young to care for themselves, you need a will to ensure that the appropriate party is granted guardianship. With no will in place and if the other parent is deceased (or unfit to provide care), the court will determine who will care for your young children.

Upon contacting an experienced attorney, you can discuss your options for creating a will or trust. At the very least, a legal professional can give you more information on what would happen to your property if you die without a will, as well as the benefits of creating one as soon as possible.

If you remember nothing else, let it be this: when you have a will or trust, you can be assured that your property will be left to the appropriate party. Without this, the state may end up making a decision that you would not agree with.

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Stephen Waltar

Attorney at Legacy Estate Planning, LLC

Steve was born on March 15, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts. His true roots, however, are firmly planted in the Pacific Northwest. Steve grew up in Richland, Washington and moved to Seattle in 1980 to attend college (Seattle Pacific University, B.A., cum laude, 1984). He lived in Princeton, New Jersey for three years during graduate school (Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1988). Steve returned to Puget Sound to attend law school in Tacoma (University of Puget Sound/Seattle University, J.D., 1993). He was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1994. Steve is also admitted to practice in United States District Court, Western District of Washington.

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