Your Tennessee last will and testament, created with confidence
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A simple, reliable, do-It-yourself Tennessee will form
Executing a last will is the best way to protect your loved ones and property. In Tennessee, if a person dies without a will, their property will pass by intestacy. If assets pass through intestacy, you cannot choose who inherits them. State law governs inheritance. A Tennessee last will and testament gives you the power to ensure that the family members, charities, and organizations you intend to benefit from your estate receive the gifts you plan to leave.
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A simple, reliable, do-It-yourself Tennessee will form
Executing a last will is the best way to protect your loved ones and property. In Tennessee, if a person dies without a will, their property will pass by intestacy. If assets pass through intestacy, you cannot choose who inherits them. State law governs inheritance.
A Tennessee last will and testament gives you the power to ensure that the family members, charities, and organizations you intend to benefit from your estate receive the gifts you plan to leave. With our forms you can, control what happens to your property, decide what age beneficiaries can access their inheritance, and safeguard your estate by explicitly disinheriting individuals you do not wish to inherit.
FindLaw provides the resources you need to help create a will:
- Complete an easy, step-by-step process to create your account
- Get information about how to make your document legally valid
- Get answers to your questions about wills
- Find an experienced, local lawyer if you have a complex case
With FindLaw, you can easily create a will. Click on the links below to jump down the page:
How it works
It only takes minutes to control your future. Need help? Contact one of our directory attorneys.
Create an account
Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time.
Gather information
You will need a list of your assets, contact information for important people, and any wishes you want to be honored when you’re gone.
Complete your documents
Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing.
Make it legal
Carefully follow the instructions provided in the form, which may include signing your documents in front of witnesses or a notary.
Plan for your future with confidence
This free guide will help you:
Learn the most common estate planning terms
Understand the essential estate planning tools
Gather critical information with an estate planning checklist
What’s next to create a valid Tennessee will?
If you want a will, you can hire a lawyer or use a will form from a reliable source. If you use a form, follow these steps:
Gather your information
The purpose of a will is to get rid of the entire estate of a deceased person. You might find it beneficial to take inventory of your property. Consider real estate, jewelry, vehicles ad family heirlooms. As soon as you know what you intend to leave behind for your family members and loved ones, you can get started on your estate plan.
Identify your executor
An executor, also known as a personal representative, is a person or organization you name in your will to manage your estate after your death. This person or organization carries out your final wishes.
Select a guardian
You can choose a guardian to care for your minor children if you have children under the age of 18. If this is the case, choose a guardian.
List the beneficiaries of your estate
List who you want to receive your property at your death. These are your beneficiaries.
Sign your will
Sign your will before a notary public and your two witnesses.
Store your will
Keep your original last will in a safe place. Unless your executor has the original last will, they will not be able to open probate.
You may want to speak with a lawyer if you:
- Have a past divorce, blended family, or other complex family situation
- Have a high-value estate
- Own a business
- Want to create a special needs trust
- Want legal review of your completed will
Ready to begin your Tennessee will?
Create my willFrequently asked questions about Tennessee wills
For a will to be valid in Tennessee, here are three things you must consider:
- Age: The testator (the person who writes the will) must be at least 18 years old.
- Intent: The individual must intend to make the will and use it to distribute their property when they die.
- Sound mind: In Tennessee, if you aware enough to understand that you are making a will, you are legally of sound mind.
It is a good idea to name an executor in your will. The executor is the person you name in your will to handle your affairs after you die. The probate court will appoint an executor for you if you do not name one in your will.
Your will should name your executor and address their relationship to you. Make sure that you name a backup executor in the event the original executor cannot fulfill their duties. Your will must also include the alternate executor’s name and your relationship with them.
During your lifetime, you can appoint someone to take care of your affairs if you become incapacitated. The legal document that names the person you select to handle affairs during your life is called a power of attorney. You can limit the authority of a person who holds power of attorney so that they can control just your financial affairs or oversee just your healthcare. You can also designate the same person to act with power of attorney for both healthcare and financial matters.
Executors are only responsible for managing your affairs after your death, and their power is limited to enforcing your will.
Tennessee requires the testator and two disinterested witnesses to sign the will. A disinterested witness is a person who will not benefit from your will. However, Tennessee law does not prohibit a beneficiary from acting as an additional witness. If all the witnesses are also beneficiaries, the gift you intend to leave will not reach the intended beneficiary.
You and two disinterested witnesses must sign the will before a notary public for it to be considered self-proving. Online notaries public licensed by Tennessee may notarize wills remotely. A testator must present a government-issued ID with signature and photo to the online notary during an audiovisual conference.
In the last will, the deceased’s entire estate is given to the beneficiaries. The will should list all your personal and real property to ensure that no property passes by state law.
Life insurance is not included in the will. You do not include a payable-until-death account in your will if your bank offers one. The proceeds of life insurance and payable-on-death accounts pass outside the will.
Until the day you die, you can revoke or change your will at any time. If your circumstances have changed and you would like to make changes to your will, you can do so through a written amendment (a “codicil“). Codicils should be signed by witnesses just like the original will.
Many websites that provide will forms do not allow you to change your will on their websites. FindLaw allows a one-year grace period so you can make updates to your document.
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