Plan today for the people who will be left to deal with tomorrow.
Most adults in Trinidad and Tobago do not have a will. The reasons are familiar: it feels premature, it feels morbid, and other things always seem more urgent. The cost of not having one is borne not by the person who delayed, but by the family they leave behind — sometimes for years.
We help clients put their affairs in order, regardless of the size of the estate. A simple will takes a single consultation. More complex estate planning involving overseas assets, trusts or business interests takes longer, but the structure can usually be designed within a few weeks.
Estate planning is a conversation before it is a document. Before we draft anything, we ask the questions that matter: what assets exist, who depends on whom, where are family members located, and what are the client’s actual wishes for what happens. The document that follows is the legal expression of those answers.
We are particularly experienced with estates that have international elements — overseas T&T citizens, dual residency, foreign property — and several of our most positive Google reviews come from clients in this situation.
If you die without a will in T&T, your estate is distributed according to the Administration of Estates Act, which may not match your actual wishes. A will lets you choose who inherits, who acts as executor, and who looks after any children. The cost of preparing a will is small. The cost of not having one is borne by the family.
Whenever a major life event occurs: marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a beneficiary, a significant change in assets, or a move to another country. A will that is even ten years out of date may no longer reflect the testator’s actual circumstances or wishes.
Legally, yes. Practically, almost never. T&T law has specific requirements for the validity of a will — including witnessing requirements — that are technical and easy to get wrong. A homemade will that fails these requirements is treated as if it never existed. The cost of a properly drafted will is far less than the cost of fixing the problems a defective one creates.
Book a consultation. We respond to every enquiry within one business day. Our initial conversation is straightforward — we listen, ask the questions that matter, and tell you honestly where you stand.
Book a Consultation Or call +1 (868) 712-7971Estate planning and wills services from Jesse Paul & Co. Attorneys-at-Law, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago: drafting and updating wills, multi-jurisdiction estate planning, trusts, powers of attorney, tax planning on estate transfer, business succession, and lasting powers of attorney for incapacity. Call or WhatsApp +1 (868) 712-7971.
