How to Bequeath Property

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Identify your beneficiaries.

   You can give specific pieces of property to specific people.
   
   For example, you might want to give your son your favorite antique car.
   
   You can bequeath the property by writing, “I leave to my brother, Karl, my 1966 Ford Mustang.”
2. 2

   Step 2: Name alternate beneficiaries.

   Your first pick might die before you, so you can name someone to inherit the property in their place.
   
   For example, you can leave your car to your brother but, if he dies before you, then your nephew will get the car.Write in your will, “I leave to my brother, Karl, my 1966 Ford Mustang.
   
   If he does not survive me, I leave my 1966 Ford Mustang to my nephew, Isaac Jones.” , You can give property to more than one person.
   
   For example, you might want to give property to all of your children or all of your grandchildren.
   
   You can write in your will, “I leave my 1966 Ford Mustang to my grandchildren who survive me, in equal shares.” , You can give a bequest from a specific account.
   
   For example, you might give $5,000 to your sister from your checking account.
   
   However, if there’s no money in the account when you die, the money will come from your estate’s general assets.To make the bequest in your will, you can write, “I bequeath $5,000 to my sister, Ella, to be paid out of the proceeds from the sale of my stock in Amazon, Inc.” , With a general bequest, you don’t have to identify the specific account you pay from.
   
   For example, you can write in your will, “I leave $5,000 to my sister, Ella.” The personal representative might sell assets to come up with the money. , You don’t have to name a beneficiary for every single thing you own.
   
   Instead, you can name a beneficiary for your “residuary estate.” This is everything you own that you haven’t given to a specific beneficiary.
   
   Your beneficiary will get what is left after your debts have been paid.You can write something like the following in your will: “I give the rest of my estate (the ‘residuary’) to my sister, Eileen Jones.
   
   If she does not survive me, I give my residuary estate to my nieces and nephews who survive me, in equal shares.”
3. 3

   Step 3: Bequeath property to groups.

4. 4

   Step 4: Make bequests of money.

5. 5

   Step 5: Make a general bequest of money.

6. 6

   Step 6: Choose someone to receive the rest of your estate.

Detailed Guide

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