Though you may have felt a great sense of joy when you became a parent, the relationships with your kids may have crumbled over the years. As a result, you may feel as if you have little relationship with them at all. Now that you have decided to begin estate planning, you may wonder what your children could potentially inherit in the event of your death and whether you could prevent such action.
As you create your will, you may have the ability to exclude your children from obtaining any of your estate. This action may not be as simple as desired, as Nevada state law regarding inheritances could come into play, but it does not have to prove impossible either.
Specificity
If you want to ensure that your children do not benefit from your estate after your death, simply leaving their names out of your will may not have the desired effect. Typically, the court assumes that a parent wants his or her children to obtain an inheritance. Therefore, even if you do not mention them in your will at all, they could still obtain a portion of your estate as an intestate heir.
In order to make your wishes clear, specificity may act as the key. Mentioning any children you want to disinherit by name and specifically stating that they should not receive any inheritance from your estate could make your intentions clear. The language and structure of your declaration could impact its effectiveness.
Updating plans
In some cases, individuals may have already created an estate plan that included their children receiving an inheritance before the relationships fell apart. Luckily, you have the option to update your estate plan at any time you believe it necessary. Therefore, if you have already created a will and wish to change the terms, you can take the proper legal steps to modify the details to suit your current wishes.
Legality
Because you certainly want to ensure that the terms of your will and any updates made have legal standing, you may want to gain reliable information regarding state law and procedures for these endeavors. Disinheriting a child could prove complicated and possibly set the stage for contention. If you have concerns about ensuring that your wishes hold up legally, you may wish to consult with an attorney regarding your options for effectively carrying out your wishes through your estate plan.