Fun Facts about Estate Planning
Now you may be thinking that fun facts and estate planning shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, however stay with me and let’s see what you think at the end of the article!
- Ancient Egyptians and Estate Planning
The oldest will was discovered in an Egyptian tomb that was drafted in 2548 B.C. and the man’s dying wish was that his wife inherits his property.
- $100,000 and 1,066 Pages
The longest will is almost eight times as long as the United States Constitution!! It was 1,066 pages; one might assume that this person was extremely wealthy. However you would be wrong, the estate was worth only $100,000.
- Three Words
The shortest validated will on record belongs to a German who wrote his will in 1967. The will simply stated “all to wife”.
- We Can thank a Will for the Smithsonian
James Smithson left his estate to his nephew, but stipulated that if his nephew passed away without an heir that his wealth would finance the construction of the Smithsonian Institution. His nephew passed away without an heir and America received one of the most famous museums in the world.
- Power of Attorney
You may think that the United States legal system created the power of attorney. However, you are very wrong: a power of attorney contract was finalized in Mesopotamia in 561 BC.
If you need help creating your estate plan contact Jessica Henman Law today at Jessica@jessicahenmanlaw.com It should be longer than 3 words but doesn’t have to be 8 times longer than the United States Constitution. The most important part of your estate plan is it needs to be legally sound. Having an estate plan prepared by an attorney ensures peace of mind because you know that your family is taken care of.
