Wills

There are five formats for making a will in the United States:

1. Public notarial. It can be expressed orally, but necessarily in the presence of a notary or judge. Several witnesses must also be present. A notarial will can also be voiced orally and then immediately recorded in writing.

2. The testator must write a secret will himself. After that, he puts it in an envelope and seals it. No one knows what is written in the text of the will, not even a notary. The notary opens the will after the death of the testator in the presence of at least two witnesses.

3. A standard will is drawn up in writing and certified by a notary. At the same time, the will is drawn up in a standard form.

4. Oral will. The testator simply expresses his will in the presence of several witnesses.

5. Simplified will (available for military, sailors)

U.S. laws primarily protect the interests of a person who has survived his spouse. The heir in almost all states can choose the most profitable option for obtaining an inheritance.

As long as the testator is alive, he has the right to withdraw his will at any time or change it as many times as he deems fit. Joint wills may also be withdrawn unilaterally at any time.

A will may lose its legal force if, for example, the testator got married, and the will indicated that only children go to the property. A will be invalid if the person to whom the property was bequeathed died before the testator.

It also loses its legal force if the object of inheritance is lost (for example, the property was sold, burned down) or no longer represents value (for example, the car was shattered in an accident).

Joint wills in the United States are two or more testators who draw up a joint will indicating to whom and under what conditions they transfer their common as well as personal property. A mutual will in the United States is when one person in a will undertakes to leave his property to the relatives of the second person, who in turn undertakes to inherit his property to the relatives of the first.

Inheritance treaties in the United States are when the testator undertakes to inherit his property to a specific person in exchange for obligations or services on his part. For example, it may be an obligation to take care of him until his death. In case of conscientious performance of his duties to care for the testator until his death, the heir will be able to receive the property bequeathed to him. Such a treaty cannot be terminated unilaterally.