不論你是單身或已婚, 有沒有房子或小孩, 我都強烈建議你找Estate Planning Lawyer, 設立一個生前信託 (Living Trust), 因為生前信託設立好後, 不用經過Probate Court, 財產內容都是私密, 中間還包括指名由誰決定你的醫療決定, 由誰處理你的財務, 你的身後事等等; 如果你只有遺囑(Will), 就需要經過Probate Court (付錢請法院管理你的財產, 直到法院弄清楚你是否有欠稅, 誰是你的法定繼承人, 這一搞可以幾年, 幾萬塊的管理費), 而且財產內容會是公開檔案.
尤其你有房子或有小孩, 及早設立生前信託 (Living Trust)就更顯重要, 因為你可以交代清楚, 當父母過世後, 誰有孩子的監護權或財產怎麼分配, 而不是由法院來替你決定.
However, 不管基於什麼原因, 你來不及設立生前信託, 但又因故急需弄一個遺囑的話, Holographic Will會是最快的方式.
In California, if you write out a will entirely in your own handwriting (no typewritten or pre-printed portions) and sign and date it, it’s a legal holographic will. [California Probate Code §§6110-6111] A holographic will does not need to be witnessed.
每個州對Holographic Wills的要求不同, 所以你需要查清楚你所在的州法, 這裏只提出加州Holographic Wills的規定.
How to write your own Holographic Will as a California Resident?
我這裡提出一個範本讓大家參考, (紅色部分需填你自己的資料), 全部內容必須是你親自手寫在白紙上, 寫上日期, 簽名.
I, SABRINA HUANG OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY HEREBY DECLARE THE FOLLOWING:
I HEREBY REVOKE ALL PREVIOUS WILLS AND CODICILS. I INTEND THIS WILL TO BE A HOLOGRAPHIC WILL – ALL IN MY OWN HANDWRITING, AS PER CALIFORNIA STATUTE.
I AM OF SOUND MIND. ALL MY JEWELRY, PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND RESIDUE OF MY ESTATE I LEAVE TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE/CHARITIES.
For people, please leave their name, phone numbers, and address.
For charities, please list the name of the organization, and the tax ID.
I NOMINATE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE TO BE THE EXECUTORS OF MY WILL, THE FIRST TWO TO SERVE TOGETHER AND THE THIRD TO SERVE AS CO-EXECUTOR IF EITHER NOMINATED EXECUTOR IS NOT WILLING OR ABLE TO SERVE. (這部分是按照我的意願, 列出三位執行者, 只要其中二位願意一起執行即可)
List all three names and phone numbers.
I HEREBY SIGN THIS WILL AT LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA ON AUGUST 26, 2016.
SABRINA HUANG‘S SIGNATURE
事先設好生前信託, 是你能為活著的家人做最好的準備, 因為所有的事情都能照你的意思執行, 沒有人需要為了孩子的監護權, 你要不要拔管, 財產怎麼分配, 而鬧上法院打官司.
覺醒的女人最美 