Do All Family Members Have To Be Present At The Reading Of A Will?
Do all family members have to be present at the reading of a will?
A will reading is an important event when a family member dies, but technically anyone can read the will. This is reflected in the phrase "gives, bequeaths, and leaves to." If a person has written a valid will, it means they have named the person who will execute their wishes upon their death. In other words, this chosen executor is allowed to distribute their estate as they see fit. Whether or not all family members are present at the reading of a will depends on whether they are mentioned in the document or whether they have a legal interest in the estate.
If someone wrote a valid will, then it means that he or she had thought about who would be their executor and made sure to name an appropriate person in the document. The executor is the only person who needs to be present at the reading of a will because any family members who do not inherit anything from that person's estate do not need to be notified about what is going on. The executor needs to be present for two reasons: first, so that he or she can get familiar with his or her duties and responsibilities; second, so that he or she can sign any paperwork that needs signing during the process of dividing up the estate.
If you have any questions or need a Will and Estate Lawyer, please call this law firm for a free consultation.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S Redwood Road Suite C
West Jordan UT 84088
(801) 676-5506
