No will? How bad can it be?

By Patricia Nugent

Are you a glass-half-full or half-empty person?

Many of us live our days carefree and chill, taking the approach of, eh, what’s the worst that could happen? When it comes to passing away without a will in place, the answer is a lot.

I caught up with local attorney Margaret T. Karl, who is an expert in estate planning, to find out more.

“I often encounter people who don’t think a will is necessary for them,” she says. “They say things like ‘let the chips fall where they may’ or ‘what does it matter if I’ll be gone anyway,’ but when I explain to them what happens without one, they change their mind.”

With wills, as well as powers of attorney, the main function is to put your wishes down in writing, to have control over what happens to your assets and children in the event you pass or are incapacitated.

“Without one, you can be assured that other people will be making these decisions and they might not be what you want,” says Margie.

She says situations can become even trickier when it comes to families with children from different marriages.

“I had a client once with children from a second marriage, and children from a first marriage who had zero contact with the parents,” she says. “Yet, when the dad passed, those kids got a share since he didn’t have a will stipulating who received what.”

The additional time and money it takes to get an estate through probate without a will also causes more stress for the surviving spouse and family, who should be more concerned with grieving over a loss than having to guess what their loved one’s final wishes would be.

Margaret T. Karl, attorney at law, is located at 25800 North Depot Street, Suite 102, in Olmsted Falls. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 440-782-5051 or visit OlmstedOhioLaw.com.