Attempt to interpret wishes of the will writer

In some cases, the document will be concise and written in laymen’s terms. In other cases, the language will be more technical, and you’ll likely need to read it several times in a quiet environment to fully understand it. In this scenario, our glossary may help you work through the document.

As you read the will, try to understand what the wishes of the will writer were in crafting the specific language in the document. In some cases, it will be very clear. In other cases, particularly if the will is crafted without the input of an estate attorney, the communication may not be as clear and there may be contradictions within the document. Try to determine what the intent of the will writer was, as you will want to honor his or her wishes if possible, within the limits of the law.

Beneficiaries will expect you to be an expert on the document so you’ll want to be prepared to answer any questions. These may be technical questions – or questions they have relating to what they believe the intent of the will writer was.