Free Wills – Dying without a will

So what happens if you die without a will?

I know that dying is not what people want to talk about. Making a will is not what people want to do, but in Alabama dying without a will means that state already has a will for you. It is in the form of laws called the Law of Intestate Succession. These are the laws of the state has written to take care of people don’t make a will. This is what your legislators have done for you. Despite the somber topic it is a somewhat humorous look at what happens if you die without a will.

Last Will and Testament of You

I, being of sound mind, do hereby direct that the legislators of the state of Alabama and the mind state as follows:

State of Alabama may appoint my surviving spouse as administrator of my state or in the infinite wisdom, they may appoint someone completely unknown to my spouse and family. My administrator will be required to post as an expense to my state, a bond double value of my state, to provide “insurance” in case my administrator is incompetent or criminal in their acts.

My surviving spouse is to receive only one half of my estate. (Even though I love my spouse as no other.) The other half is to be divided into as many parts as I have children, regardless if they are minors. If they are adults at my death and have died leaving the minor children, those grandchildren will take their mamas or daddy’s share.

For those children who are minors, the state may choose my surviving spouse of someone unknown to my family to act as “conservator to manage my child or children’s assets” in either case, another bond, (double the value of the estates) must be purchased annually and the conservator must appear periodically before the court to provide an accounting of how the assets have been used. I understand that the court can be pretty “squarely” about how money is spent and in the event the judge’s opinion will be pretty much it. If anyone disagrees with how my conservator has spent money, then the conservator can be held legally liable, even beyond the bond amount.

When my child or children reaches the age of 19, each of them will receive their inheritance outright. It will not matter that they are immature or have never learned how to handle money. It will also not matter that they have friends (all friends or boyfriends) which are hangers on who will help them through their grief and spend the money. I will have to assume that they are mature enough to handle money in a responsible manner and don’t really want to get a college education.

If for some reason my spouse does not survive me, I asked the state of Alabama to decide who would be the best person or institution to raise my child. I hope they don’t use my sister because I can’t stand my brother-in-law. He is a deadbeat, but then my opinion won’t matter.

If my spouse remarries then has the misfortune to predecease her new husband, it’s okay that the assets go to him instead of my children.

Am happy to pay, from the proceeds in my state, expensive legal, court administrative fees, so let the courts, bonding companies, and lawyers feel free to bill away.

Further, though I attend church regularly, was on the sidelines of my favorite college football team every fall, and had many favorite charities, “God Bless Them All” all the calls that is all that I have left them. I have not made provisions herein.

Finally, I realized that my poor planning may create large estate taxes, which could have been avoided if I hadn’t put off making a will.

Oh, I forgot, if my spouse and I didn’t get to the church to be legally married, I don’t give her anything because she’s not my wife. Further she may not be buried next to me, love my family will have control of my body after I’m gone and they will decide my final resting place.

Signed,

Your loving Procrastinator