Q: Good morning. I have a question about adding a child to a will. My mother-in-law is 69 yrs old and creating a will.
We all live in Florida. She is asking my husband for his SSN, birth certificate, and driver's license to add him to her will. When he asked her why she needed it, she replied that the lawyer asked for it. She has a tiny estate. Is personal identifying documentation required from your beneficiary/child over 18 yrs to add them to your will?
A: It is not required but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I always ask for that same information when I am creating an estate plan. It makes it a whole lot easier to administer later. If you would prefer to make administration (i.e. distribution to you and your husband) more difficult, then withhold the maximum amount of information from the attorney.
A: None of what is being requested is needed by the attorney drafting her estate planning documents. The only information he/she may require is the age of the child.
A:
The attorney maybe using a program asking for that information regarding all beneficiaries however the age of the beneficiary if 25 or under would be useful if the bequest should be held in trust or a bank account to be distributed at 25 or even later up to 35
I don’t think it is necessary to give social security numbers or other personal details especially since the testator may send copies of the Will or Trust to all the beneficiaries!
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
