Best Estate Advisor | Victor Pantaleoni

After receiving a business degree from Columbia College in Sonora, California, Victor Pantaleoni spent seven years working for the federal government before entering the private sector. A member of the Paralegal Association of Santa Clara County, Victor Pantaleoni has served the legal profession as a paralegal for almost 30 years, focusing on estate planning, trusts, estate taxes, and probate.

Drafting a will is one of the more complex legal processes a family or individual can engage in. Writing a will can be particularly difficult considering the emotions and stress involved with discussing the end of a person’s life. Regardless of how uncomfortable certain aspects of drafting a will can be, individuals should consider creating one as soon as possible.

In most states, a person must be at least 18 years of age to write a will. In many cases, it may be practical to put off drafting a will until after an individual has accrued significant assets, such as property or financial investments. That said, members of families with a history of mental illness or poor physical health may be more inclined to consider the eventual distribution of assets like heirlooms or an automobile at an earlier age. Today, younger individuals may be more interested in drafting their will as these documents expand to cover digital assets ranging from music libraries to written content on a website.

The primary reason to draft a will as early as possible is to make life easier for friends, family, and any of the estate’s beneficiaries, who might otherwise need to contest the distribution of assets over the course of lengthy legal proceedings. In order to learn more about the benefits of drafting a will, particularly at an earlier age, contact an attorney or law office specializing in estate planning.