You may see free will forms or online templates, but attorneys may not vet these forms and they might be incorrect for Oregon. Experienced attorneys put together FindLaw’s state-specific forms to provide you with a custom will. Additionally, our step-by-step guide gives you instructions along the way.

Yes. You can change your will at any time. If you want to make a change, you can revoke your original will and draft a new one. As circumstances change, you may want to change your beneficiaries, personal representative, guardian, or trustee. A codicil is a small change to a will that must be signed and witnessed in the same manner as a will. However, you may want to draft a whole new will to update it with your current situation. The advantage of a FindLaw will is that you can save your work. So, if you ever need to make a change to your will, you can simply update the form and execute your new document.

In Oregon, you must be 18 years of age, legally emancipated, or married to create a will. There is also a requirement to have a “sound mind,” which means you are competent enough to make a will. If you have a sound mind, you understand that you are making your will, know who your beneficiaries are, and what assets you have.

You must follow Oregon state law to execute a will properly. Oregon requires two people to witness that you signed your will. A court may later petition those witnesses to attest that they were present when you signed your will. You may also want to pay a little extra to have a notary public execute a “self-proving affidavit.” That is where you have your witnesses affirm to the notary that they were present when you signed the will. They may also state that you were competent and signed willingly.

Yes, Oregon taxes estates worth over $1 million. Oregon Estate Transfer Tax Form OR-706 is used to calculate the amount of estate taxes owed. The form and tax are due nine months after your death. However, a surviving spouse who inherits everything does not have to pay the estate tax.

There is no inheritance tax in the state of Oregon. So your beneficiaries do not have to pay tax on anything they inherit from you.

A will is a great start, but it is only part of a complete estate plan. You overall plan should address what happens if you can’t make financial or medical decisions independently due to incapacity. The following documents address that situation:

• A financial power of attorney is a document that gives an agent you name the right to make financial decisions on your behalf.
• A medical power of attorney in Oregon is known as a healthcare representative. The appointment of a healthcare representative allows you to name your healthcare agent to make medical decisions for you.
• An advance directive, also called a living will, appoints a healthcare representative to handle your end-of-life instructions.