Mother passed away without a will, Father needs will

[strathywins]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia

My mother passed away on December 4th without a will in place. My father needs to make a will and we do have the money to pay for a lawyer. How can he make a will without paying for a lawyer?

 

[justalayman]

Not sure why you included your mother in this but just in case there is any misunderstanding, you realize you cannot make a will for your mother, right?


as to your father and his will; it would depend on what his assets are as to whether it should even be considered to make his own will. A lot of wills are so poorly written they cause a lot of problems.

Here is the section in Virginia law specifically concerning wills:
2006 Virginia Code - Virginia Chapter 3 - Wills - Virginia Law - Virginia Statutes :: Justia -- US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases -- Justia

There are other laws that need to be considered when dealing with an estate. Some of them are here:

2006 Virginia Code - Virginia Title 64.1 — WILLS AND DECEDENTS\' ESTATES. - Virginia Law - Virginia Statutes :: Justia -- US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases -- Justia

as to a will, you would need to address the first link to research if there are any specific inclusions or style or anything else specifically required by law when writing one.

There are websites available that have templates available for wills. Make sure it is specific to the requirements of Virginia.

You might also just call up a few estate lawyers and ask them how much they would charge to advise your father and write a will. It can save a lot of money paying to have it done correctly if a mistake in a self written will causes problems.