“Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs? Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth? Let’s choose executors and talk of wills.”
Shakespeare, Richard II III, ii, 144 (1595-1596)
“It has been said, and I think accurately, that a will is more apt to be the subject of litigation than any other legal instrument. Usually, it is the most important document executed in a person’s lifetime. This immediately suggests that a will representing the true wishes of a testator of sound mind should be so prepared and executed as to be invulnerable, if possible, to an improper attack.”1
The estate planning lawyer faces many difficult tasks when attempting to draw a will.
Usually, the client has a very definite plan in mind, and you’re supposed to get it right on paper. Some of these plans may involve many complex goals, often to allow the client to control everybody from the grave.
