According to several recent surveys, about 55 percent of American adults do not have a will. Of those, approximately 60 percent say it is simply because they have not had the chance to create one, but human nature suggests that there may be another motive. Many people are simply unwilling to consider their own mortality and to face the reality of death. Unfortunately, this can lead to serious consequences, even for those who do not have particularly large estates. Unfortunately, dying without a will or other estate planning tools can lead to some unpleasant consequences.

Depreciation of Assets

There are a number of reasons that assets may depreciate after death. It could be due to the red tape and time it takes to go through the Illinois probate system. Alternatively, valuable funds may need to be spent on tracking down family members that you might not have even had planned to inherit (or may very well be deceased). Taxes, which often end up being higher in the absence of a will, can also affect the value of the estate. Regardless of the reason, the absence of a will makes depreciation almost unavoidable.

Family Disputes

Families do not often intend to fight over items of value. Sometimes, it is simply a manifestation of troubling economic times. In other situations, it is because one family member has an emotional attachment to an item that is separate from its appraised monetary value. In still others, there are issues of speculation and feelings of being betrayed that may play a role. By taking the time to create a will, you can help your family members avoid such issues after your death.

The passing of a loved one is almost always a terrible ordeal to endure. When a relative passes without a will, the process of managing the deceased person’s final affairs only adds to the difficulty. A person who dies without a will is considered to have died “intestate.” Illinois intestacy laws determine how a person’s property and debt are distributed after their death when a valid will is not present.

Laws of Intestate Succession When No Valid Will Exists

The rules regarding how a deceased person’s property should be divided are largely dependent on the deceased person’s surviving relatives. When a single person with no children passes away, his or her estate will go to his or her parents or siblings. If that person does not have living parents or siblings, their estate will go to nieces and nephews or more distant relatives. If an unmarried person with children passes away, their estate will go to their children. If a married person passes away, their spouse will usually receive the part of the estate which is considered marital property. Unfortunately, unmarried couples do not have any legal right to their partner’s property if that partner passes away without a will.