#Also paper notes with handwriting do more to enforce than typing

[rainyfdayz]

A post no one will listen to

Hey

Like it's great and all to have background noise, but language processing sometimes just really doesn't work like that I was trying to listen to a video while scrolling here on tumblr and absorbed literally none of it. Drawing, crocheting, knitting, and like, non-language based activities you can do while listening to someone talk but please don't try and write while you're listening to someone talk to you if you wanna absorb the words.

And yeah yeah you can be built different whatever but, maybe give it a shot later and reserve that YouTube video you were gonna put on to learn something for later when you're not writing e-mails for work or writing in general or reading a book. (I might be the only one who needs to know this idk I might be stupid) This also applies to college lectures and classes you will absorb less of the lesson if you are playing a game that requires a lot of reading (any kind dialogue counts) or scrolling on a website and reading. You would learn more if you had an earbud in with music than scrolling tumblr please.)

[dilucids]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤLove Letters, Genshin Impact

their reactions to you receiving love letters.

includes: diluc, venti, ningguang and beidou

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ〔 DILUC RAGNVINDR ━━ DARKNIGHT HERO 〕

━━ the first one wouldn't bother him at all, he'll simply look over your shoulder, ask you what it was and shrug it off, having trust in your relationship.

━━ if the writer persists, he'll get a little iffy with it and will read it over your shoulder as you do as well.

━━ he'll let the words of this secret admirer sink into his brain, disgusting words that were sickeningly sweet and he swears that it doesn't bother him.

━━ but it does, the way that someone else is also admiring all your traits, or has a note on all your little habits that may not be cute in the eyes of others but is absolutely endearing to him ( and this new person apparently ).

━━ and then he wonders if you're into this type of romantic thing, things that he can't indulge in for you, like sweet letters for you to wake up to every morning that write about you like a passage from 'romeo and juilet', talking about how your beauty makes him undone.

━━ he swears it still doesn't bother him at all when more and more letters come in and kaeya delivers them from the headquarters with that knowing look on his face.

━━ but he gets a little more attentive; he'll watch you do the most boringest of things, he'll use a softer tone when reading to you before bed, he'll give into your scoldings sooner than the usual, he'll make his kisses sweeter and last a little longer, he'll even let you play with his hair and tangle flowers in it; anything to make sure you know that he loves you and all your little quirks just as much as that secret admirer.

"You okay?" You crane your neck back to ask Diluc, who currently had a hold of your waist, pushing his face into the crook of neck. He hums, his paperwork left all over his desk with fresh ink washed over the page, in little underlines, arrows and smaller notes by the side. He had just finished another stack of the seemingly never-ending paperwork, finding little rest with you in his arms.

A knock destroys your delicate mood and you can tell Diluc isn't in the mood to answer to anyone's knock, Kaeya's in particular, judging by the knocking pattern. "You can come in, Kaeya," you call out.

He comes in with the regular pink envelope, "your secret admirer is so dedicated to you," he teases and his eye picks up on the way that Diluc slightly tightens his arms around your waist so he grins. "Don't tease, Kaeya," you warn albeit rather insincerely, as you pick up the envelope placed upon the desk.

"Are you leaving?" You raise an eyebrow, pausing the action of opening the envelope when Kaeya makes no move to leave. He shrugs, finding that the very small rise that he got out of Diluc should be enough until he sees him again and leaves the two of you in silence, closing the door behind him.

Opening the letter, you feel Diluc remove his face from your neck, placing his chin on your shoulder as you open another letter. "What day is it now?" He asks with distaste, seeing the same slanted, upright handwriting on the piece of paper.

"Now, now. It's rather amusing."

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ〔 VENTI ━━ WINDBORNE BARD 〕

━━ wouldn't bother him, at all.

━━ the first letter would come and he'll find the contents kinda amusing since this person is kinda trash at poems ( i guess when you're venti, any poem compared to yours would be ).

━━ would find it very funny ( would pocket the letter so he could show and do a dramatic reading of it to dvalin later ).

━━ unlike diluc however, he'd jokingly use it to get more affection from you.

━━ so everytime he saw you skimming through the letter uninterested, he'd pout a little, impatiently tap his foot and let out a quiet huff ( maybe even make the wind pick up a little ); anything to make you think that he was jealous so that you'd redirect his attention onto him.

━━ does things like point out grammatical mistakes or rephrases their sentences into a better flowing sentence whilst reading over your shoulder with a jealoused look on his face.

━━ it works, obviously. you end up ditching the letter, always leaving them half read to tend to venti. he denies when you make the claim but has it written all over his face as you remind him that you're all his.

━━ basically, venti malewife, mansplain, manipulate.

Venti peers over your shoulder, leaning on your arm with a small yet obvious pout on his face. You try to ignore his expression as you read the letter, though it becomes harder when he begins to read out passages of the letter, cheesy passages when you were compared to an angel from heaven that was sent down to enlighten the earth, in a high-pitched, mocking voice.

You'd laugh it off, finally peering at Venti's jealous ruse and ditch the letter. "Is my little Archon jealous?" You'd tease him, taking ahold of his cheek to redirect his gaze onto you, you think you're the one in control right now but oh, he's literally had this planned since you've seen your name on the envelope in swirly handwriting and a heart right next to it. Surprisingly, music isn't the only performing arts Venti is good at as he huffs, pushing out his lower lip and never looking you in the eyes.

"I'd never leave you for someone who doesn't know how to spell 'gorgeous', my dear," you wrap your arm around his waist as he was sat on the armrest of your chair and he does nothing but sink into your arms, sliding into your lap so you were carrying him like a baby, his legs thrown over the other armrest and head pressed against you.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ〔 NINGGUANG ━━ ECLIPSING STAR 〕

━━ would see it as a challenge. like venti, would be slightly amused when she sees it.

━━ like, someone really thinks they can challenge her for you? L, that person's gonna have a lot on their plate by the end of it.

━━ would take immediate action after the first letter, even if you asked her not to, she'd do it behind your back.

━━ she literally has a floating mansion, i don't think anyone is in the position to challenge or stop her.

━━ would organise a "meeting" with said admirer to establish a few rules and consequences that would be enforced if any of those rules were to be broken.

━━ letters stopped right after the first one.

"This letter is for you," she trails off, handing you a letter that was pink and decorated in little hearts in all different colours. You quirk an eyebrow, planting yourself on her desk as Ningguang watches curiously as you tear open the envelope and unfold the contents. Your eyes scan the letter, injesting the words with a straight face, eyebrows furrowing.

"Is there something wrong?" You hum, turning the letter around to be met with a blank side and check the envelope for the sender again. "Just," you pause, unsure how to start, "do you know who sent this?"

She stares at you with a raised eyebrow, "no, it was placed on my desk when I arrived," taking the letter out of your hand, she scanned the contents. Her lips quirk and eyebrows move in amusement as she brings up her hand to cover her laugh.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ〔 BEIDOU ━━ UNCROWNED QUEEN OF THE OCEAN 〕

━━ would be happy for you.

━━ don't know how but she would somehow be happy for you.

━━ since beidou is used to getting praise from younger members of youth, when she finds you reading a letter of praise, she'll also feel happy for you since you're always reading over her shoulder when she gets one with a pout. ( she thinks you're jealous of her???? )

━━ would literally pat you on the back and say well done with a hearty laugh.

━━ she'd ask to read it and everything, and would find pride in herself that other people could see all the things that she saw in you, like how your imperfections meant nothing, how your habits were the cutest thing ever.

━━ not a single jealous bone in her body when she sees it which is kinda endearing in her own way??

"What 'ave you got there?" Beidou's natural booming voice causes you to jump slightly, making you turn around and hide the letter behind your back as you scratch your cheek, you probably shouldn't show her a love letter from someone else.

"Just a letter," you wave off with a laugh but she's already behind you, with the letter in her hand and eyeing it's contents. You watch nervously as she reads your letter, scared of her reaction but she smiles━━ a full toothy grin where her amazingly white teeth are all on display.

[jikookiekosmos]

Classified & Confidential || kth (Part 1)

➥Pairing: detective!taehyung/reader

➥Summary: It’s been years since your close friend passed away, case going cold due to lack of evidence. You never once believed the story the police gave you, since they classified it under an ‘unfortunate accident.’ Now that there are telltale signs of something similar at play regarding someone else you hold dear, you decide to take things into your own hands. You hire world renowned private detective, Kim Taehyung. And he goes above and beyond everything you expected.

➥Genre: strangers to lovers (kinda slow burn), detective au, mystery, angst, eventual smut, fluff

➥Rating: 18+

➥Words: ~7.1k

➥Content Warnings: detective/mystery au, (tw: mentions of death, brief mention of suicide in relation to a criminal case, implied foul play, stalking behavior, non-graphic detailing of a crime scene), slight forensic talk, mentions of nervousness and anxiety, some cursing, mentions of cops/police, unhelpful law enforcement (like they’re kinda terrible with the whole solving this case thing), feelings of unease and tension, we get bestie hoseok, tae is kinda extra but for good reason, no suggestiveness/smut in this chapter but it’s still 18+ due to it involving some of the aforementioned warnings

A/N: This will be a multi-part series that explores some darker themes, and each part will have appropriate content warnings listed; please read at your own risk. This part touches on backstory and introduces the characters, things will start getting a little more intense in the following chapters. I don’t have any kind of specific update schedule but ideally I’d like to get updates out every few weeks at the latest! I hope you look forward to this, and if you wanna be added to a taglist, please let me know~

Thank you @dntaewithluv​​​​ for your constant motivation and support (and for always beta-reading for me, even when we scream at each other about our ideas); hopefully I do Tae justice for you! I love you lots ❤️

taglist: @inlovewiththemoonn @mwitsmejk​ @bangtanhome

⊱──────── ✬ ✬ ✬ ────────⊰

5 Years Ago

The night sky was dark, blanketed by stars as it emitted a peaceful aura. There was no way to bask in the calmness of the night, however, with all the hustle and bustle that surrounded you outside of the apartment complex.

Crime scene tape marked off the area, and many onlookers had gathered to try and get a glimpse of what happened. You were one yourself, but you weren’t there out of sheer curiosity.

Your breathing was ragged, staggered, as you tried to hold yourself together and observed the scene in front of you unfold.

Police wouldn’t let you beyond the tape, despite knowing the person currently covered by the white tarp.

Minutes prior, one of the cops had been politely trying to hold you back as you thrashed around, mind muddled by the vision of your best friend’s face before the tarp concealed it.

“I’m sorry, we can’t let anyone unauthorized come past this tape, please stay where you are.”

“You don’t understand, that’s my best friend, please let me through, please-”

You couldn’t control the volume of your screams, prompting a few of the other bystanders to try and calm you down seeing as you were very clearly distraught.

An unknown amount of time passed before the thickest part of the crowd decided they’d had enough excitement for one night, retiring to their own homes. You stayed planted in your spot, prepared to not move until you got more of an explanation for what was going on.

You’d resigned yourself to the fact that if someone wanted you to leave, they’d have to do it by force, but you eventually complied after two cops convinced you to come down to the station and issue a statement, given your relation to the victim.

They didn’t grill you hard, which was something you appreciated at the time, since you were really in no state to handle a grueling interrogation. You knew you could be marked down as a potential suspect, but everything from their investigation pointed to them believing it had either been an accident or a possible suicide attempt, the latter of which would almost entirely exclude your involvement.

Over the next few weeks, you cooperated with the investigation and helped them with whatever leads you could provide; you were determined that foul play was involved, because you knew your best friend better than anyone, and the story the cops were feeding you wasn’t adding up.

The theory as you knew it was this: she jumped from her apartment window, which was up a significant amount of stories, more than enough to kill a person. A potential suicide note was found at the scene on the nightstand by her bed, typed on a sheet of paper, so handwriting analysis wasn’t an option. The apartment was undisturbed aside from the window having been open.

It almost seemed like a cut-and-dried case, aside from one other small factor: unknown DNA from a hair follicle was found in the apartment alongside the victim’s own.

This didn’t surprise you…at first. You knew Ky had been perusing multiple dating apps and would often invite people over to her place after successful dates. But as far as you also knew, Ky hadn’t recently been on any dates, so there wasn’t a clear reason for that DNA to show up.

Ky had told you in the weeks leading up to her death that she was afraid someone had been following her around, and it unsettled her so much so that she deleted all the dating apps on her phone until she felt safe again.

Sadly, that day never came, and this fact alone caused the nagging suspicion of foul play to burrow itself even deeper into your subconscious.

Since the DNA was unknown, tracing it would be no easy task, but that didn’t stop you. Anything you could do to shed light on what had actually occurred, you were going to do it, plain and simple.

Which is why when the police decided to close the file on the case and label it as an ‘unfortunate accident,’ you were floored.

You begged them to keep focusing on leads when there really weren’t any, offering to aid in any way you could because there was no way that there wasn’t something missing.

Their response?

“Go home, Y/N, there’s nothing else you can do.”

You left the station that day only after you had caused somewhat of a scene, arguing back and forth with one of the lead detectives until you were ‘carefully escorted’ outside. Enraged, you banged your hand against the glass of the door before you slid down the wall beside it, hugging your knees as you tried to compose yourself.

You weren’t sitting that way for long before you felt a gentle tug on your sleeve. You looked up reluctantly and were met with one of the softest pairs of eyes you’d ever seen.

The stranger offered you a kind smile, one that made your heart ache in the aftermath of everything you’d endured the last several weeks. You’d been tackling this situation all on your own, with barely any help from mutual friends or Ky’s family since she’d been estranged from them.

But now, this man stooped down in front of you and smiling at you like everything would be alright…

It almost made you want to believe it.

“Hi, I uh, couldn’t help but overhear about your situation,” he finally spoke up, sounding somewhat bashful. He had bright red hair that peeked out under a cap he wore, and he was sporting a rainbow colored sweater.

A tinge of embarrassment fluttered through you. “Oh. Sorry you had to witness that.”

So this random stranger heard you telling off the police by yelling at them in broad daylight. Way to make a first impression.

To your surprise, he simply shook his head, smile widening. “No, don’t be sorry! I was, uh – happy to be able to listen.”

You quirked an eyebrow. “Ok…may I ask why?”

“Well,” there was that bashful tone again, hand flying to the back of his neck as he looked to the side, “I’d been coming up here for a while, hoping to hear something regarding this case specifically. Usually when I stop by, there isn’t much going on and it’s not like I can just walk in and ask for classified information-”

He stopped speaking immediately once you held up your hand. You didn’t want to be rude, but you were thoroughly confused.

“Is there a reason why you’re eavesdropping for information about this case?”

He nodded eagerly. “Sure is! See, I’m working as a crime reporter, and-”

You scoffed as you pushed yourself to a standing position. “Unbelievable.”

Without sparing another glance to the gentleman, you shouldered past him, earlier hopeful mood soured by the fact that he was just another person looking for a scoop about Ky’s demise.

He was quick to follow, almost jumping down the steps to catch up to you.

“Hey, wait! Please.”

The way he begged pulled at your heartstrings because of how genuine he sounded, and for reasons beyond you, you turned around to face him and decided to hear him out.

You crossed your arms as he sighed with relief.

“Thank you. Ok, to start with, I’m a crime reporter, but I’m not trying to report on this case as everyone knows it.”

Another eyebrow raise from you. “What do you mean?”

The man smiled shyly, brushing away the red hair in his eyes. “I want to bring the injustice of the system to the public’s attention.”

That got your attention. “You do?”

“Yes. And I think your story could help with that.”

“My story?”

He nodded again, this time more eager than the last. “You’re pretty adamant that what happened to your friend was no accident, am I correct?”

Any mention of Ky caused the dull pain in your chest to come back, but at least this time, she wasn’t being mentioned in a gruesome or negative light.

“Yeah, I really don’t think it was an accident. But no one believes me.” You looked down at your shoes, scuffling one against the pavement.

You only looked up again when you felt the stranger’s hand on your shoulder.

“I believe you.”

All of the breath was knocked out of you.

“You…you believe me?”

The smile he gave you this time was bright and sincere as he dropped his hand by his side. “I do. I’ve been following everything posted online or in the newspaper about this case, and some of it just really does not seem plausible. And then after hearing you today, it made so much sense as to why.”

It still bothered you a bit that you were loud enough in the station to be heard outside, but that worry was now being overshadowed by the possibility of having someone else who could stand by you on your conviction.

“It…really means a lot to me that you would even consider my side of things. Truthfully, I think the police only tolerated me this long due to protocol.” You wrapped your arms around yourself.

The red-haired man grimaced at your remark. “Yeah, no kidding. For as long as I’ve been in this line of work, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them take things as seriously as they should.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“About a year. But trust me, I’ve seen a lot during that time.” His determined expression might have made you giggle under other circumstances because it clashed so much with the rest of his soft demeanor.

“I don’t doubt it.” You walked over to the nearby bench seated a few feet away and the stranger followed hesitantly, only sitting beside you when you didn’t give him any indication his presence was unwanted.

The both of you turned toward each other slightly before you spoke up again.

“So, how can I help you with what you’re wanting to do?”

He seemed pleased that you were on board, eyes shining. “For starters, do you think I could interview you? I’d have to ask some sensitive questions, but I feel like I could have a better understanding of the case that way…only if you’re comfortable, though.”

You swallowed as you thought it over. Your participation in the numerous interrogations during the investigation had now proved to lead nowhere, but maybe this time the outcome would be different.

“Sure, I don’t mind. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, to the best of my ability.”

The stranger beamed, looking happy enough to nearly jump out of the bench, despite the current subject matter. “Great!”

His cheerful nature was a little infectious, you had to admit, because you already started to feel a little lighter in his presence. A hand appeared in your line of vision.

“My name is Hoseok, by the way. We haven’t been properly introduced yet so that would be the next best step, I think.”

You did giggle this time at his action. “Nice to meet you, Hoseok. I’m Y/N.” You took his hand into your own to give it a small but firm shake.

“It’s my pleasure, Y/N. Now,” he regarded you with that same soft look he had in his eyes when you first saw him at the station, “what do you say we discuss some logistics over lunch? My treat, of course, since you’re agreeing to help me.”

For the first time in ages, the smile that graced your face was wholeheartedly genuine. “Sounds good.”

Thus, the beginning of a beautiful, long-lasting friendship bloomed that day outside of the one place you’d begun to loathe more than anything else. Over the next few years, Hoseok stood by your side in more ways than you could count, and he was now someone you considered to be one of the best friends you’d ever had.

One of the only best friends you’d ever had.

What you never expected was to be seated with Hoseok at the same diner that started your initial conversation about Ky’s case 5 years later, discussing something much too similar for your liking.

⊱──────── ✬ ✬ ✬ ────────⊰

Present Day

You sipped from your coffee mug, enjoying the warm beverage as you waited at the diner. The weather had been less than ideal, with rain pouring all day long and displaying little signs of stopping.

But Hoseok had been adamant about the two of you meeting up after your voicemail you left the previous night.

As you were thinking about your close friend, you heard the bell above the diner door ring, signaling his arrival. He spotted you across the room and quickly rushed over to your table, leaving rain droplets in his wake.

Hoseok shrugged out of his soaked jacket and tossed in into the booth seat beside him as he shook his head to – hopefully – rid himself of the water trying to slide down his face.

“Hey,” he finally breathed out once he was settled. His usual wild red hair was darker now thanks to the rain, stern expression plastered onto his face.

“Hey.” You responded meekly, attempting to give him a weak smile. Your stomach was churning with unease at the conversation you were about to have.

Hoseok took a deep breath before he folded his hands together and rested his elbows on the table. The coffee you’d ordered for him had been pushed to the side, momentarily forgotten.

He lowered his voice. “Are you sure the pattern of behavior is the same?”

You nodded slowly, going over all the details again in your mind. “I’m positive. The only difference is Yuri waited longer to tell me that she thinks she’s being followed than Ky did.”

Ky. Not a day went by where you didn’t think about her, seeing her smiling face when you would close your eyes at night and try to drift off to sleep.

Slumber came much easier these days than it did those first few months, but every now and then the same nightmare would plague you about the night you saw her on the sidewalk.

You shook your head to shrug the thoughts away. Now wasn’t the time.

“Shit,” Hoseok finally responded. “That doesn’t seem like good news for us.”

“My thoughts exactly. Who knows how long this has been going on. And she’s been receiving the same kind of ‘gifts’ Ky would get, too. Random text messages, voicemails from unknown numbers…she tries to brush it off, but I know this scares Yuri.”

“She doesn’t recognize who’s speaking in the voicemails?”

You shook your head solemnly. “No, they’re using some sort of voice modifier.”

Hoseok cursed again, this time under his breath. “Well, what do you want to do?”

You gulped. Truthfully, you didn’t know the answer yourself. On the one hand, everything currently happening to your friend mimicked what happened to Ky, almost exactly. But on the other hand, Yuri made it known time and time again that she thought you were too paranoid for your own good sometimes.

So, you were at a loss.

Yuri and you were close, in a sense. You’d been friends for the last 4 years, working at the same company after graduating from college and even getting transferred to a new one in the same division so as to not be separated. Outside of Hoseok, you considered her your dearest friend.

But at the same time, you knew that Yuri had those she held very dear in her own life that were there before you, and you’d never try to overstep.

Still…the events surrounding Yuri were too specific to be coincidental in your opinion, and if the hunch you had right now was correct, you needed to do something.

You wouldn’t – you couldn’t – let another person die. Not if there was some way for you to prevent it.

Something you didn’t do with Ky, and that would haunt you for the rest of your life-

Hoseok pulled you out of your thoughts by calling your name, frowning deeply once your gaze focused on him again.

“I…I don’t know. I feel like if I push too hard on this, I’ll also push Yuri away, and I don’t want that.” You worried at your bottom lip, your most infamous nervous habit.

“Be that as it may, this doesn’t seem like something you should ignore either. What’s worse: pushing her away but potentially saving her life, or not saying anything and she ends up in danger?”

A heavy sigh wracked through your body.

Your silence was enough for Hoseok to continue with his own line of thinking. “Well, we could consider going to the police-”

“Absolutely not,” you answered fiercely, with more emotion than you’d displayed the entire conversation, “not after how they handled everything with Ky and how they treated you.”

You and Hoseok had made a name for yourself throughout the town as ‘Public Enemies 1 and 2’ with the local police department. You, due to your persistent insistence that they were wrong in their deduction about Ky, and Hoseok because of the article he published that shamed their name.

The article was the first – and last – one that he published under the company that had hired him to be a reporter, seeing as the police department had enough sway to get him fired afterwards. He wasn’t able to find another reporting job anywhere within the town or those surrounding it.

There also weren’t any remaining records of the article anywhere online or in paper publication, but as a ‘fuck you’ to the department, Hoseok had a copy of it printed and hanging up on his wall for anyone and everyone to see. You had always admired how he handled the situation with grace even though it made your blood boil every time you thought about it.

Even so, some good had come from the whole ordeal. After failing to find another reporter job, Hoseok had made a somewhat notable career as a crime novel author, popular among locals because of how he came to be a novelist, and eventually rising to fame due to his own amazing writing skills.

He enjoyed his career and had a happy life, but that didn’t mean you had to forgive and forget the shitty events that happened to get him to that point.

Hoseok nodded in understanding. “Ok, so no police. Does that mean we try to tackle this whole thing by ourselves?”

“Neither of us have any legit experience with this kind of stuff, so that’s out of the question, too.”

Hoseok tapped his chin as he pondered another idea. The way his eyes lit up as it came to him made your lips curve upward.

“What if we go to someone who isn’t involved with the police but does have experience with that?”

“…not sure I’m following you.”

Hoseok huffed in an endearing way. “Have you ever heard of a private detective?”

The word ‘detective’ made you wince, considering your last encounter with one evolved into a screaming match…but it was also how you met Hoseok, so there’s a silver lining for everything.

“I’m not familiar with a private detective, but I’m open to listening to your idea.”

He grinned. “Perfect. Ok, so in my research for my latest novel, I actually ended up looking into some real-life private detectives.”

“And what did you find?” Your own curiosity was definitely piqued now, as it always was when Hoseok would talk about something so passionately.

“There’s one who’s basically world renowned, like he’s really fucking good. And his office isn’t too far from here, it’s basically in the next town over.”

You took another sip from your coffee, swirling the now lukewarm liquid around in your mouth as you contemplated.

“What else do you know about him?”

Hoseok’s shoulders slumped slightly at that. “Not much. The only information I have on him is his name and how you can contact him. From what I’ve read, he seems to be pretty selective with clients.”

“No idea what he looks like?”

Hoseok shook his head. “None. There weren’t pictures or anything like that, I’m not even sure how old he is.”

You hummed as you pictured this mystery man in your head, automatically defaulting to envisioning an older man, maybe in his 50s with already graying hair. A wise old soul who had seen so much in his long years of investigation work.

“Not like all that really matters, I guess. Do you think I should reach out to him?”

Hoseok nodded around his coffee cup before he tilted his head back to take a large sip. “That’s our best shot right now. And if it doesn’t work out, at least you tried.”

Such a simple statement but it made your stomach twist at the memory of Ky and how you weren’t able to save her because you didn’t know how. “Right.”

Hoseok pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through what looked like Google search results. When he found what he was looking for, he texted you the information.

“Kim Taehyung?” You said the name aloud, making sure you got the correct info.

“Yup, that’s him. If you do decide to contact him, let me know how it goes, ok? I’m already worried as is about you delving into something like this again.”

You patted his hand. “I know, Hobi. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful, and I’ll keep you updated as much as possible.”

He smiled brighter than the sunshine. “That’s all I can ask for, bub.”

⊱──────── ✬ ✬ ✬ ────────⊰

You paced around your apartment, staring at the text that Hoseok had sent you earlier. The rest of your time with him at the diner had been calm and helped to quell your nerves, but now that you were alone again, you were riddled with anxiety.

You had typed in this Kim Taehyung’s number into your phone, ready to call him and just get it over with. The worst he could do is decline your ask for help, but you wouldn’t know unless you tried.

After a few more minutes of useless pacing, you finally hit ‘send’ and raised the receiver to your ear.

You were met with an answering machine almost immediately, wondering if maybe you typed it in wrong until you heard ‘you have reached the number for Kim Taehyung.’ The name had been uttered by a human voice, one that was deep and took you off guard.

You had barely enough time to ponder over the voice before you heard the tell-tale ‘beep’ signaling for you to start your message.

“Oh! Um, hello, Mr. Kim. This is Y/N- well my name is Y/N. I was referred to you by a friend of mine who said you may can help me with a situation I’m having. There’s…some suspicious behavior involving someone dear to me and I’m afraid they could be in danger, but I’m not sure who to turn to. I-If you’d like to give me a call back, you can reach me at this number…”

You finished your voicemail with your contact information before thanking him and wishing him a goodnight. Once you pulled away your phone, you checked the time.

10:36 PM. No wonder you got his answering machine.

The anxiety that had settled down while you were leaving your message started to come back, so to combat that you made the decision to go ahead and get ready for bed. There wasn’t anything else you could do right now, anyway.

You texted Yuri just to wish her a goodnight, and when you received a response almost immediately, you breathed out a sigh of relief. At least she was alright and that was one less thing to worry about for now.

You didn’t dream that night – which was a blessing in its own right – as you thought about the deep timbre of the voice from the answering machine. You’d only heard it briefly, but it left enough of an impact, that was for sure.

⊱──────── ✬ ✬ ✬ ────────⊰

You awoke around 8 AM, your typical time no matter what day it was. It was the weekend, so you could get more sleep if you wanted, but a quick check of your phone had you sitting upright at a record speed.

[Unknown] 6:28 AM: I got your voicemail. If you want to discuss your case, meet me at this address.

Your heart thumped faster as you re-read the words over again. The following message had an address attached, and when you opened it, you noticed how it was for the neighboring town.

With all of the context clues, and taking into account everything Hoseok told you yesterday, you figured that it was Mr. Kim who had texted you. Obviously it would be from an unknown number, and he wouldn’t give out any explicit personal details to lead back to him; that’s just how he did things, as Hobi had mentioned.

And if he contacted you back, that meant he was interested in helping you!

Well…he was interested in hearing you out, at least. Still, you wouldn’t pass up on this opportunity. You quickly crafted a response before you started to make yourself presentable.

[y/n] 8:03 AM: Thank you! When should I meet you?

You had just finished brushing your teeth when you heard your phone chime again.

[Unknown] 8:06 AM: Whenever is best for you. I’ll be here all day and don’t have any other clients lined up.

You clutched your phone to your chest. This was really happening.

Once you were done getting ready to head out, it was just past 9 AM. You called Hobi to let him know what you were doing, and his excitement was tangible even through the phone. He urged you to keep him posted about all the details, which you assured him that of course you would.

The drive to the address you’d been given didn’t take too long, maybe around 20 minutes or so. What surprised you when you arrived, though, was the outward appearance of the building.

It looked abandoned, for lack of a better term, and you checked the text message 3 more times to make sure this is where you were supposed to be.

[y/n] 9:28 AM: I’m here…but I’m not sure if this is the correct place?

There was an eerie feeling settling in your stomach as you waited for a response. Maybe this had been some sort of trick? Had someone set you up?

The sound of a deadbolt clicking grabbed your attention, and the door a few feet in front of you opened up to display an older woman. At first, she seemed a bit disgruntled at having an unexpected guest, but before you could apologize for intruding, her gruff expression was replaced with a warm smile.

“I take it you’re Y/N?”

You gulped and nodded, placing your phone back into your jacket pocket.

“Follow me.”

She turned on her heel to walk back into the building, not bothering to wait and see if you would obey. You quickly scurried after her, only stopping once you were a foot or so behind.

You walked through about 3 or 4 different hallways, trying to remember the directions you’d taken but failing miserably. There wasn’t much to this building…you saw what appeared to be a few offices here and there but otherwise, not much else.

“Here we are,” the woman croaked, gesturing with her arm to a much nicer looking door that had gold lettering on the window.

The etchings were bold, and it was very evident where you were as you read the words:

KIM TAEHYUNG

Private Detective

The older woman rapped on the door 3 times with her knuckles before she walked off. You were standing there, dumbfounded, until you heard a voice softly telling you to come inside.

The doorknob clicked easily under your hand, and as you entered the room, you were in awe of how different everything looked.

The office was tidy and, dare you say, extravagant compared to what surrounded it outside of this room. There were two brown leather couches that had a decent sized coffee table seated in between them; further into the office, you saw the same type of leather chairs, one in front of and one behind a large wooden desk. You also spotted a few plants that looked to be well taken care of, one sitting in a windowsill and the other on a small table next to some black filing cabinets.

Whoever had designed this room clearly had a knack for matching furniture together, because it all meshed well and you appreciated the sleek look to everything.

Your eyes ended their scan as you looked over to the far wall, almost letting out a gasp when you noticed the figure across the room whose back was turned to you.

When you softly shut the door, the other person in the room turned around. It took you a second to start thinking properly again, because he was not at all how you pictured he would be.

For starters, he looked much younger than you thought originally, closer to your own age, which you thought was admirable considering his high status as a detective. He had brown hair parted down the middle that was slightly wavy, with bangs covering his forehead. He had very handsome facial features as well, some of the most handsome you’d ever seen, if you were being honest with yourself.

He was wearing dark jeans and a shirt with black and white print that was hidden underneath a black leather jacket. Everything about this man seemed to scream fashionable and it was throwing you for a loop. You weren’t trying to stereotype him based on your own experience with detectives in the past, but he was just…so not what you expected him to be.

You were wondering again if this might be a prank, until he finally spoke up and acknowledged your presence.

“Y/N, is it?”

You nodded dumbly, scrambling to walk across the office as he motioned to the chair in front of his desk. He sat down in his own once you were close enough, and you shrugged out of your jacket before following suit.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, you felt small under his scrutinizing gaze. He was leaning on one elbow, chin resting in his palm as he stared at you with intensity.

He spoke suddenly, almost making you flinch with surprise.

“So, you mentioned a friend of yours might be in danger?”

You nodded, not sure what to say or if you should say anything.

“Does this friend know you’ve come to a private detective about their situation?”

You opened your mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Well…no.”

The man nodded, more to himself than you, it looked like. “Alright. That’s not an issue, just have to cover all the basics first.”

“What do the basics entail?”

He seemed amused by your interest as you took the initiative to ask questions now.

His fingertips drummed along the desk, a rhythmic sound that you found to be oddly soothing.

“It entails me finding out as much about your case as I’m willing to before I decide whether or not it’s something I can assist you with.”

He started twirling a pen with his unoccupied fingers, clearly waiting for you to speak first again before he continued.

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything you feel is pertinent to tell me.”

You sighed. “Well, to start with, I think my friend is being followed by someone-”

“Proof?”

You frowned. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Do you have proof? Does this friend have pictures or a video of them being followed, or is it just a feeling?”

“To my knowledge…no. It’s more that they sense it than have actually seen it.”

“And you want me to find out if this is happening or not?”

“Um…yes?”

It was his turn to sigh this time. “You don’t sound very confident in your answer, Y/N.”

His tone rubbed you the wrong way. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What it means,” he broke off to look away from the pen to your face again, “is that I need to know what it is you want from me before I can agree to help you.”

You were catching onto his game now. He wanted you to very specifically lay it all out for him, instead of leaving him to figure it out by grasping at straws.

“Well, Mr. Kim-”

“Taehyung.”

“Sorry?”

“Taehyung. You can call me that, if you want. I’m not super big on formalities for myself.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek. Why was his presence so overwhelming?

“With all due respect, Mr. Kim, I’ve never done this before. All I know is something isn’t right, and I don’t trust the police to offer assistance in the way I need.”

You swore you saw something flash in his eyes.

“Why don’t you trust the police?”

You crossed your arms and leaned more into the chair. “The last time I worked with them, it didn’t end well.”

“You’ve worked on the force?” He almost sounded impressed.

“No, sorry, poor choice of wording. I tried to help them with a case before.”

“Ah,” his eyes narrowed as he busied himself with the pen again. “Were you a suspect, or?”

“I was close to the victim,” you said softly, almost a whisper.

For a moment, his expression softened. “I’m so sorry.”

You shrugged, inhaling a shaky breath as you looked at your lap. “It’s fine. Just…there’s your answer. I don’t want to work with them again, so I came to you.”

“If I’m able to take your case, I’ll make sure you don’t regret that decision.”

His tone had you picking your eyes back up. You noticed a fire within his own, one that made you feel like he meant every single word he’d just said to you.

“Thank you.”

He carded a hand through his hair, the action drawing your attention to the silver watch that adorned his wrist.

“Can I ask…could you tell me about the case you were involved with?”

A slow nod from you. “If it’ll help, I can do that.”

He motioned for you to continue. As you started telling him the details, you noticed as his eyes widened. At one point, he politely interrupted you.

“Sorry, just – I remember that case. You were involved with that?”

“Yes.” You were twisting your hands together in your lap. “Ky was my best friend.”

“And the police just let the case go cold, without considering all traces of evidence?”

“I begged them not to, but there wasn’t much I could do. They made that known several times,” you trailed off. You thought you heard some semblance of a growl coming from the detective.

“I always knew something was weird about that…every report they published made no sense, and none of the pieces of evidence seemed to corroborate their theories.” His hushed tone suggested he may have been talking more to himself, but you didn’t question it.

“There were signs of suspicious behavior leading up to her death that they never considered, and any time I tried to bring it up, I was shut down immediately.”

“Are these ‘signs’ something you’re noticing now, with your other friend?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Taehyung hummed. “I see. You want to inspect this before it gets out of hand, so you came to me because the police are a lost cause.”

You nodded feebly, voice softer than ever when you spoke again. “I don’t want to see another person die.”

“You won’t.”

His answer startled you, even if it was as quiet as your own. Your eyes met briefly before he started looking anywhere but your face.

Another hush befell the room, and this one seemed more awkward than the last, considering Taehyung cleared his throat before he rifled through one of his desk drawers.

“Before you tell me anything else, I need you to look over something first.”

“Sure, whatever I need to do, I’ll do it.”

A crooked smile tugged at Taehyung’s lips. “You know, you’re a lot more obedient than most of my other clients.”

You…weren’t sure how to take that.

“I am?”

“Yeah. Most of the time they come in with demands and don’t like to listen when I push back on something. It’s part of the reason why I’ve gotten choosier about who I decide to do business with these last few years. But you,” he fished out a piece of paper from the drawer, “are proving much easier to work with. I appreciate that.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

He chuckled, the sound low. “You’re also way more polite than most people I encounter.”

You smiled at him for the first time. “I’m grateful you’re taking the time to hear me out.”

His eyes lingered on yours for just a second before shifting down.

“First and foremost,” Taehyung slid a piece of paper across the wooden desk that separated the two of you, “if we agree to do business, you’ll need to sign this contract. It lists my stipulations and services I can provide.”

You picked up the paper, not quite sure what to expect.

“Take your time to read over all of it carefully, just so everything is clear on both our ends.” He leaned back in his chair, the sound of squeaking leather breaking your concentration for a moment.

You scanned through every line, all of the contract terms seeming straight-forward and easy to agree to-

-but the last line caught your attention.

“Could you explain this last part, please?”

Taehyung leaned over to look at which line you were pointing to before he let out a soft chuckle. “Ah, that. My #1 most important rule. Never get involved with clients’ personal lives.”

“But don’t you have to sometimes?”

“For work, yes. But this is more referring to what happens outside of that. Things can get…messy.”

“You talk like that’s happened before.”

Taehyung smirked but offered nothing more to that specific conversation.

“So, are we in business?”

You didn’t have to ponder long before you signed the contract with a flourish. When you passed it back across the desk, Taehyung smiled.

“Perfect,” he stood up to shake your hand, “I’ll be in touch with you shortly, once I’ve reviewed your case.”

You returned the shake. “Thank you, Mr. Kim.”

He squeezed your hand once before letting it go.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

You waited to see if there was anything else he might need from you, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. He leaned down and sifted through his drawer once more, this time pulling out a Manila file folder.

“I use these to get the typical information needed for me to start my research. It just asks for client’s name and contact info, as well as a summary about what you’re wanting from me and other names of those involved. In this instance, it would be your friend. You can give me as little or as much info as you think I need.”

He handed the folder to you, and upon opening it up, you saw everything he had just mentioned to you on a sheet of paper stapled to the inside.

“I’d prefer you fill it out now so you can leave it with me, but of course I can’t force you to do anything.”

His tone suggested he was teasing, but you were quick to sit on one of the couches and begin filling out the paper. It didn’t take you very long, and when you were done, you noticed he was sitting on the opposite couch, elbows resting on his knees with his hands folded.

“Finished?”

You nodded as you slid the file across the coffee table, his pen placed on top. He accepted both and smiled at you.

“Alright, if that’s all you want to discuss, you’re free to go. As I mentioned before, I’ll be in touch with you after I’ve looked over everything and have some sort of plan on how to proceed. And of course, all of this information is strictly classified. You read that in the contract, but I always reiterate it anyway, due to some problems I’ve had in the past.”

“Of course.” You agreed with no hesitation. Honestly, you couldn’t fathom just how much he’s had to endure in his line of work, how many times he’s probably had to change locations and phone numbers.

Hell, Kim Taehyung may not even be his real name, and you’d never know.

“Any questions for me?”

You mumbled some form of ‘no’ as you shook your head. Taehyung walked over to the door to open it for you, and you certainly weren’t expecting the same woman from before to be out in the hallway, but there she was.

“Ms. Choi will show you out since this place is a bit of a maze,” his tone was light, a sheer contrast to the mood that had settled over the two of you from when you stepped into his office. “Don’t forget: I’ll contact you.”

“Yes, sir.” You couldn’t help the authoritative term as it slipped past your lips, and you walked through the door before you could see the look on his face. You thought you might have heard some sort of laugh from Ms. Choi as she escorted you back to the front, but your imagination liked to play tricks on you sometimes.

Besides, Taehyung said he wasn’t one for formalities, so it didn’t really matter that much, did it? He had to be older than you anyway…right?

You spent the entire walk through the building trying to justify in your head what had just happened, and Ms. Choi gave you a soft smile as she held the door open for you to leave.

When you settled back in your car, you gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath, leaning your head back as you shut your eyes.

You still couldn’t quite believe that the last 30 minutes or so had happened. Taehyung had proven to be quite different than what you anticipated, but he was truthfully better than you could have hoped.

He seemed driven and motivated about his line of work, and the way he reassured you when you had your doubts-

-it made you feel…safe. Like this was a step in the right direction after all.

As you called Hobi to fill him in on everything during your drive home, you started to believe that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out alright.

⊱──────── ✬ ✬ ✬ ────────⊰

➥Part 2

➥Series Masterlist

➥All Works Masterlist

[nurseofren]

Keeping Your Promise - Chapter 14 (NSFW)

Read on AO3

Read chapter thirteen

Title: Down for the Count

Words: 7400

Summary: The Jaws theme is playing throughout this chapter, it just wasn't relevant enough to the plot to mention it.

ST rambles: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing all the different interactions. As I mentioned last week, this chapter was supposed to be completely different. I will not be releasing the alternative as I have plans to use some aspects at another point.

I cannot promise a chapter for the next week or two as I have a paper due this Saturday and will need to focus my writing and time on that. I like to stay at least a chapter ahead, so I say two weeks to be on the side of caution.

[masterlist]

“Let’s not waste any time, shall we, officer?” Hux said, eyes concentrated on the tablet in his hands, storming past you into his office.

The night had not been restful; your back was recovering from the unforgiving exam table, its intended use not one of comfort, but necessity. Along with the incessant pang radiating at your tailbone, the lack of sleep had outfitted you with reddened eyes and an overwhelming headache, every too-loud sound and overbearing light a throb at your temple. Even as you stood to enter into Hux’s lair of career-ending lecturing, you found comfort in the fact that you wouldn’t have to return to your sleepless confines before the day was over.

With one last steeling breath, you pulled your shoulders back and followed in after Hux, taking in the familiar space, unchanged since your last time being here. Hux had already sat down before you’d entered, still focused on his datapad. Whatever he was looking at was no doubt aimed towards the severing of either your ties with the First Order, or the ties between your head and body – either of which he was excited to take part in.

“General,” you said, taking a cautious seat across from him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this early encounter?” The words were mostly civil, only dipped in mockery.

“And it is a pleasure, officer,” he said with one final aggressive tap to the screen, staring at you in malevolent glee. “Now, I should first inform you that you are still contractually bound to Commander Ren until your official denouncement by the Board of Physicians. Other than that, this is the beginning of the end, I am disheartened to say.”

“I’m sure of it.” The goal was to make it through this meeting without digging a deeper hole for yourself, and that meant taking Hux’s snide comments in stride and withholding your own snark.

“Although I thought it was counterintuitive, I am legally bound to tell you that you will be under heavy surveillance. Not only in your practice as a physician – which will be extremely limited while the investigation goes on, by the way – but in your day to day life as well.”

“What? Why?” The words were quick and emotional, coming before you could stop them. He raised an eyebrow, the outburst only offering him more reasons to expedite your dismissal. Clicking your tongue, you regathered yourself. “I’m sorry, general. Why am I being watched?”

Keeping your stare, he slid the datapad across the desk. “The Board of Physicians has deemed it necessary to not only question your competency as a provider, but also your character as an individual.”

Finding a vague familiarity in the event, you half-hoped for the door to rush open and Kylo Ren to come take you away. To your dismay, however delusional and misplaced, the room stayed quiet of the hydraulic hiss, the only sound inhabiting the room being that of the cyclic boots of patrolling stormtroopers beyond the office. With a swallow, you took the tablet into your own hands and scanned over the screen, finding another legal document. This time, though, not displaying the pointed script of Kylo Ren, but that of another familiar face; within your hold was Talia’s incident report, scanned into its electronic existence from her original penmanship.

“I trust you’re aware of what that is, yes?” Hux asked.

His voice was muffled, background noise to your focus on the document. Not reading a single word, too nervous to know how she told the story, you mindlessly scrolled through the pages, regarding its length even in her small script. Nearing the bottom, there was an occasional edit, a typed word among her handwriting. Looking closer, you realized the necessity of the print, noting the original penning had been defaced with interruptions, splotches of dried tears contorting her testimony.

“Oh, Talia,” you whispered to yourself, reaching for the stitching on your chest, fidgeting your sorrow along those three letters just as you had hours earlier.

“Didn’t she do a wonderful job at recounting the occurrence?” Hux’s voice pierced through your pain-laced reverie. “Truly a professional if I’ve ever seen one. Her dutiful reporting of the event proved her allegiance to the First Order, allowing her to receive a warning instead of a sentence.”

“What is your purpose in showing this to me?”

“You’ll eventually get your own copy,” he said. “I figured you’d need a refresh of the events that led you here.”

“I… will never forget that day, General Hux,” you said, peeling away from the tablet.

“Good. You’ll need that ability of recall when you go in front of the Board of Physicians to state you case.”

Unrelated to the environment, a chill fled over your skin. You wanted to believe that he’d misspoke, but he would never mess up relaying anything so pertinent. The Board of Physicians had called for your presence. It made sense, your actions – a crime in their eyes – had directly involved them, their existence being what funded your position, though you never thought they would think it necessary to summon you for a trial. Yes, ethically you had messed up, but you had thought this would be a quick loss, not one that incited you ever coming face to face with the heads of your profession.

Although you’d worked hard at staving off the endless dread since leaving the assessment room, it now slowly crept into your stomach, tightening your chest in its clutch. In the throes of budding panic, your leg sprang up, bouncing silently, a conscious effort to not let your heel hit the floor. “Why do I need to present my case? They should know what happened by now.”

He cleared his throat. “And they do, which is precisely why they called for your audience. Since you were selected for this new endeavor of provider assignments, they are concerned that their investment in the First Order isn’t paying off as they had intended, and by your formal appearance they seek to revise the program for the future.”

A huff of air flared your nostrils. “They’re making an example out of me. How nice of them to choose public humiliation instead of execution.”

His brow creased. “I don’t think you quite understand,” he said. “You have been accused of first-degree larceny. You will lose your license after appearing before them, but the basis for your execution is subject to their judgement.”

“What have I done that would justify the end of my life?”

“You stole from the First Order, byway stealing from the Board of Physicians. Contrary to what you may want to believe, your actions do have consequences, miss,” he bit your last name off.

“I stole? I saved a man’s life by taking blood that would have expired had I not thought of it. How can they not see that?”

“It doesn’t matter what you did with the blood, although you will be questioned on the ethics of transfusing a blood product that had not been properly crossmatched. What matters is the principle. The First Order does not take any crime lightly, but with your being a beta-tester for this brand-new program, compliance among providers is a priority that is to be enforced.”

Everything the Elite does is unfair. Talia’s voice rang loud as you fought back the need to scream, to flip his desk over, to run to the nearest escape pod and shoot off to some far away planet where nobody could find you. It no longer mattered if their actions were unfair, now only caring that they were wholly unjustified, using you as an example, invalidly exploiting you to incite fear amongst your peers, to set a precedent. It was wrong, lawfully and morally, and you’d had your fill.

“I don’t deserve to die. It is sick knowing the backwards logic you’ve twisted just to rid yourself of me,” your voice was husky with restrained rage.

“This has nothing to do with me, officer. This is completely on you. You made your bed, now lie in it.”

“I did nothing wrong!” You cried out. “I’m a convenient way of pushing some agenda that the First Order takes no prisoners. I’m not even getting punished for what I did, I’m getting exploited to make a point, to act as some warning for years to come.” You were on the edge of your seat, ready to shoot into the ceiling.

Hux sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, watching you draw nearer to spilling over. He tsked, narrowing his eyes, confusion pinching his face. “What’s changed, officer?”

“What are you talking about?”

“In our meeting on the Finalizer, you seemed unphased by the prospect of losing your career. Now, it seems you’re fighting to stay here. Why is that?”

It was something you hadn’t considered. His question begged a truth you hadn’t yet confronted: you did want to keep your assignment. It was as much a revelation to you as it was to him, sending you back in your chair, replacing your rage with quiet shock. What had changed? A week ago you were actively trying to convince yourself you were okay with dying, but now it was all you could do to fathom the thought of merely losing your license. There had been so much anger residing within you; where had it gone? And why was Hux right?

”Oh,” you breathed, eyes fading into your memory.

You deserve to be here. Kylo Ren’s voice, soft in the night, echoed in remembrance; the figment of his past face cast is the celestial shadows remained vivid, a living memory, nearly tangible in its clarity. The admission had floored you when he’d first spoken it, and nothing had changed, still losing your ability to think straight as the words reverberated around your thoughts and stole your breath. You’d run from the bond in his words, too scared of their truth. But, that was just it; they were true. There was no ill intent hidden behind them, the only thing residing in them an unadulterated sense of reciprocated trust.

His words should have lost all meaning when he pulled away that night, although you’d pulled away first; but, here, before Hux, you knew that Kylo Ren was what had sparked the paradigm shift. He had pulverized your heart that night, and you still hadn’t fully recovered, but it was undeniable, even now: the reason you wanted to stay was because you’d realized your purpose – the worth you now felt in your position had been solely provided by Kylo Ren.

“What happened to not wasting t-,”

“I deserve to be here,” you said, echoing your master. “No, I want to be here. I have just as much a place in the Elite as Talia Harper does.” An incredulous laugh left you. “I deserve this.”

Hux, alarmed by your newfound fire, sat forward, leaning on his elbows and tenting his fingers. “Those are powerful words. But I suspect you’ll need a stronger defense when convincing your superiors to spare you.”

“I’m good at my job. I saved that man; I’m not wasting time trying to convince you of that fact,” you said, no longer affected by his attempts at intimidation. “They can watch me all they want. They won’t find anything but the fact that I am a damn good nurse who has effectively kept the Commander of the First Order alive and well with no assistance.”

Hux’s scowl had returned in all its glory. “We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” His eye twitched. “Later today you will receive an email informing you of all the expectations surrounding the trial. The dates have yet to be determined, but they are adamant in their desire to get this off their docket as soon as possible – for safety’s sake, of course.”

Unblinking, you stared back in silence, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction. He continued. “You will need to arrange for travel, as the trial will be conducted on Canto Bight over the course of one to two weeks, depending on the judgement you receive.”

“Canto Bight? Why wouldn’t it be held here on Starkiller?”

“The Board of Physicians’ headquarters is located there. You should know this, although I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t at this point.”

Cracking inwardly, you needed to leave before you spewed hell fire down on him. Clearing your throat and squaring your shoulders, you steadied yourself before speaking. “I’ll keep an eye out for that email. Now, is that all? Am I free to go?”

His lips pursed. “For now,” he said. You got up and walked to the door. “But, remember officer, you are barely free from this moment on.” His eyes pointed to the upper corner of the room.

Sucking your teeth, you entertained him, tracking your eyes with his, finding a security camera angled down to you. Such an ass. “Have a nice day, General,” you said, slipping out of his view before he could get the last word.

The wide-open communal area of the Elite floor was even busier than last night, nearly double the amount of stormtroopers marching around. There also seemed to be an increase in employee population in general, the expanse buzzing with a constant influx of engineers, pilots and technicians. Maybe it was the fact you’d only been here during normal human hours once, only ever seeing the graveyard crowd when you’d reported for your shift, but every new encounter with the main functioning centers of the First Order painted a clearer image of the ever-rising tensions with the Resistance. There had been a few emails you scanned through mentioning an effort to destroy the Republic, but it never seemed pertinent to pay attention to them, feeling they didn’t have a direct effect on your life.

With your head tucked into your shoulders and your arms wound tightly across your chest, you walked into the thick of patrolmen, having no particular destination in mind. Halfway through your trek across the floor, your phone buzzed. Figuring your watch would have dinged if it was anything important, you kept your focus on making your way through the room. But it buzzed again, and again – urgent vibrations sounding through your uniform. Without breaking your stride, and keeping your head down, you pulled it from your pocket, seeing it was Mason.

Before getting a chance to read his messages, the screen lit up with his caller ID. You were in the dead center of the floor, everyone could see you, and though you wanted to be far away from the circling soldiers, it seemed safer to be visible than skulking in a corner; if Robbie were lurking around, he wouldn’t try anything so public. At least you hoped he wouldn’t.

On its last ring, you accepted the call. “Hey, Mason,” you said, peering around.

“Hey! Why did you call me last night? And sorry, Soto has me running forty-eights right now so I’m never around my phone,” Mason explained, grog in his voice, either just waking up or in the process of getting rest.

Last night flashed through your memory, recounting the damaged door, the scratch marks, the dents, the blaring red caution tape tying the terrorizing scene together; it quickened your heart, that feeling of all-consuming dread threatening to return in its entirety. The stiffness at your back pulled you back to reality, reminding you why you had called him. “Actually, I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while.”

The line stayed quiet for a moment, the bustling noises blockading you from hearing his tired breathing. “I mean, of course you can. You know that. But is there any particular reason? Is there something going on,” he attached your name to the end of the question, genuine concern rasping through his exhaustion.

“No, everything is fine, I’m…” The words came too fast, a defense mechanism you’d adapted to keep people from worrying about you. But this was Mason. He knew your tics.

“Spill. Now.” It was a demand, no hint of request in his tone, suddenly less tired than a second ago.

“I know, I do,” you said, pressing your hand against your forehead, scanning the room. “Do you remember that guy I told you about before leaving for the Finalizer?”

“I’ll kill him. What did he do to you? I swear, I - just give me a name and-,”

“Mason.” You chided him, feeling like his words would somehow attract attention. “You’re not killing anyone. Just – I went out with him the night I departed, and it… didn’t go as planned. Okay?”

“Sure, but what does that have to do with you not being able to go home?”

This was it. Telling Mason would only solidify your reality. “So, maybe it went a lot worse than planned. Like. A lot worse. And I think he may have broken into my place while I was gone, and I’m really worried that if I go home that he’ll come and, and…” Your throat thickened, anxiety stealing your words.

“Oh my God!” Your admission had infused his voice with alarm. “Yes, yes. Come here tonight. I’ll call out and we can talk. Okay?”

“Mason, you don’t have to call out. I know how important your residency is. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“You are important to me. And I don’t want you to be alone, not with some psycho out to get you.”

His words warmed you, feeling something other than stress or fear or anguish for the first time in months. But, before you could respond, he spoke with an urgency, realization overtaking him. “Wait. Where did you sleep last night? Oh my – I’m so sorry, I-,”

“Hey, no. It’s okay. You were working. You didn’t know, Mason,” you said. “I slept in the assessment room. It’s private and locked. I was safe. Please do not blame yourself for something you couldn’t control”

A long breath left him, audible even with the synchronized marching swirling around you. “You’re okay now, though, right?”

“I am… trying my hardest. I just really need a break from everything.”

“Well I’ll be all ears tonight. I can pick something up for dinner if you want?”

“Mason, you’re already being too kind by letting me crash. Thank you, again.”

“You never have to ask. My door is always open,” he said, grogginess creeping back into his voice. “Hey, before you go, could you tell me what this bastard is called? I need to assign a name to the violent things I’m imagining right now.”

It was the first true laugh, however short or quiet, you’d had in a while. “Oh, Mason,” you said. “His name is Robbie. Technically. I’ll get into it later.”

“What does that mean?” His last word was a yawn.

“Go to sleep. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

Another yawn resonated through the phone. “Fine. See you tonight. Love you.” He hung up, potentially falling asleep before he could put his own phone down.

“Good to see you haven’t forgotten about me.”

As if you’d gone back in time, that same unease tore into you, robbing you of breath and stealing your equilibrium. It was him. This was what you’d been dreading since before leaving. Behind you stood the most uprooting factor in your life – Robbie was within feet of you, the familiar modulation of his voice immobilizing.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he said, sauntering into your line of sight. “You’ve been gone so long,” he rolled your name off, violating as the syllables left his tongue, “I’ve missed you.”

The absence of food in your stomach was a blessing, knowing the adrenaline contracting your body would have ejected it from your system by now. The thoughts swirling around your head were an amass of chaos; echoes and amplifications of fear and impulses, conflicting in their commands – run! Don’t run! Punch! No, kick! Scream! Stay silent! It was all you could do not to fall forward, your knees trembling, readying to give out any second.

“Speak to me with that beautiful voice. I’ve been imagining it for months now, telling me how sorry you are for leaving me.”

What did you have to be sorry for? To him? Snapping your face to his, you snarled, chin trembling. “Excuse me? Sorry? I have nothing to apologize for.”

He hummed, the sound nauseating. “You’re so cute when you’re angry. Is this our first fight?” He circled your wrist in his armored hand. “Let me make up for it, baby.”

“Get the fuck away from me, you freak!” You growled, struggling against his grip, flinging your trapped wrist until it broke free. There was a lasting ache where his fingers had been anchored.

“Hey, hey. No need for hostility,” he said. “I’m just so happy you’re back.”

Your heart threatened to burst your carotids, pulsing angrily over your entire body. “Oh, you are? Why? So you can break into my apartment again? Maybe finish the job you’d had in mind before you realized I was gone? Hm?”

This got to him, his hands wringing at his sides as his posture hardened. “I hadn’t seen you, and you left without saying goodbye.”

“How would you know if I didn’t say goodbye? In my memory – which, by the way, is exceptionally clearer than yours of that night – you passed out drunk before I got the chance. Or do you not remember that?”

“You little bitch,” he barked, drawing the attention of the passing stormtroopers. “Who’d you tell, huh? How’d you get me fired from Ren’s detail?”

Defensively, you took a step back, distancing yourself from his reach. “You did this to yourself, Robbie.” Wanting to hurt him back, you pulled your claws out. “Oh, wait, please forgive me. I meant RB-6745. Forgot for a sec-,”

“My name is Robbie.” The words tore through his throat as he lunged forward, reaching out to you.

“RB-6745,” a voice called from behind him. It was Captain Phasma. “Why have you abandoned your station?”

She walked militantly towards you, her chrome armor glinting with flashes of white as she passed by coupled soldiers. Robbie’s hands clutched below his waist, her presence bringing reluctant resolution to his outburst. When he turned, your face fell from its tight contortion of fear, not having realized you’d flinched away from his incoming assault.

“I apologize, captain,” he said, irritated at her interruption. “I thought it was my break.”

Phasma stopped about three paces from you, staring between you and your masked mistake. “Commander Ren’s ex-charge has had trouble adjusting to maintenance duty,” she said, your reflection bouncing off of her chrome helmet as she addressed you, turning to Robbie before she continued. “Come. I’ll show you back to the engine sector, as you seem to have forgotten the route. Again.”

Phasma motioned Robbie to lead the way. He turned back to you, leaning down and bumping your side against his shoulder in his passing. “This isn’t over,” your name a curse on his lips once more.

Phasma stopped in front of you before following after him. “I didn’t come here with the intention of rounding up one of my men, but it seems I can kill two birds with one stone.”

Clearing your throat, you pulled your shoulders back, her presence commanding the respect that Hux’s never could. “Captain?”

“Commander Ren instructed me to inform you to meet him in his assessment room. He says it’s a pressing matter.” She marched past you, not waiting for a response.

You stood there motionless, still standing at attention, listening as she led Robbie away. It was easier to stay here, to forget what she’d told you and pretend that there was nothing waiting for you beyond the assessment room hatch. But there was. In your nervous rush this morning, more focused on being extra early for Hux’s meeting, you hadn’t thought to tidy up your temporary dwellings; the room was still made up with a loose cape draping over the exam table, two stray socks strewn about the room, and an open bottle of hydrogen peroxide – a makeshift mouthwash in leu of a toothbrush. And now a new addition – clothed in black, hands undoubtedly balled into fists – awaited you. There was a pressing matter, but it had nothing to do with Kylo Ren’s wellbeing and everything to do with your soon-to-be lack of.

Considering it was like wading through mud to break past the shrouds of stormtroopers, your nerves had already worn thin since stepping into the docking bay, but acknowledging how you’d left Kylo Ren last night – his flaming sword of rage swinging destruction around you – the journey back towards the med bay was not one of a casual stride. With a quickened pace the hatch came into view sooner than you’d hoped, simultaneously wanting to get there to explain yourself while also wishing the floor would swallow you whole so you wouldn’t have to deal with Kylo Ren’s theatrics. Within a couple strides, the door slid open, revealing the undeniable presence of your master.

“This’ll be fun,” you said under your breath, smoothing over your uniform with nervous hands.

Passing through the threshold, it whirred shut behind you, its motion sending a rush of chilled air over your legs, whipping the back of your skirt to the side. Kylo was on one side of the exam table, clutching the cape, one of his socks hanging loosely from his other hand. Hidden in his helmet, you could only assume the eyes boring into you matched the fury of his fist.

“There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” you said, tone hesitant and low, guarding against a reappearance of his lightsaber.

His hand stayed rooted in the cape; his warped voice venomously low. “Then explain.”

Staying close to the wall, you circled around him, leaning against the metal counter behind you, grasping onto the edges. “I had to sleep here last night.”

“That is evident, officer.”

“Okay. I couldn’t go home last night.”

“I can make you talk. You know this.” His hand lifted the cape, clutching it up to his chest.

Swallowing, the metal ridges of the countertop bit into your grip. It felt like admitting why you couldn’t go home was accepting a defeat, like he’d won the argument pertaining to your need for protection. You chewed your cheek, looking down at your feet and closing your eyes. “I did actually go home last night. I didn’t just stay here out of preference.”

“Then why?”

“When I got home,” you sighed, looking back over to him, “I found my place had been broken into. And I’m pretty sure I know who did it, and I didn’t feel safe sleeping there.”

“The stormtrooper,” he said, dropping the sock to the ground. “That’s who you think did it.”

“Uh, yeah. There was a maintenance report that said-,”

“A maintenance report?”

His interest surprised you. “Yeah, the lock had been tampered with and the door had been… defaced. Scratch marks, dents. And it had been reported a couple days after our departure for the Finalizer.”

“A couple days after seeing him,” his voice was eerily calm, like he was only trying to understand you.

You paused to look at him, analyzing the intent that remained hidden with his eyes. “And before I came here, before Phasma told me to meet you, I ran into him. Well, I don’t know if I’d describe it so casually, but nonetheless.”

His hand came back down, freeing the cape from his grip, letting it pile up on the table. “How would you describe it?” He began circling towards you.

It was too much to verbalize the fear Robbie had incited, wanting to pretend he didn’t exist. “I… don’t know.”

“You’re afraid,” he said, drawing closer with each careful step. “You think he’s watching you, stalking you like prey – that’s it, right?”

Swallowing, you wished he didn’t possess the ability to feel everything you did, pinpointing your emotions better than you could. You nodded, looking up to his visor, his frame working to consume yours as the distance closed between you.

His hands came down next to yours, brushing the sides of your pinkies with his gloved grip. He leaned down to you, his gaze centered on your eyes. “You can’t stay here again.” It wasn’t darkness in his voice, or even command; he was only stating what you knew as truth.

The sound of his muffled breathing flourished over your arms, your own breathing newly audible. “I know,” you swallowed. “I’m not. I figured something out.”

“Did you?” His hands dropped from the counter to wander over the fronts of your thighs, skimming his thumbs just under the hem of your uniform. “Tell me, where are you staying tonight?” He leaned into the crook of your neck, the brush of metal eliciting the heat of your cheeks.

You breathed out, his teasing touch evaporating your train of thought. “With a, with a friend.”

His leather-covered fingers rooted just below the curve of your ass, his thumbs sliding up and down, streaking sparks in their repetitive paths. “Mm, wrong answer.” Kylo dug into your thighs, tearing your feet from the ground, propping you up onto the chilled counter.

The metal bit at your skin, making you seethe at the contrast. He parted your knees so he could stand between them, tracing his hands over the excited skin; the warmth of his gloves washed over you, stealing your focus as they slipped under your skirt once more, his thumbnails dipping just under the seams of your panties. With a steadying effort, you gathered your thoughts. “What? How am I wrong?”

His breath was getting thicker at your ear, his unaltered voice trickling through the modulation at his proximity. “You’re staying with me.”

In the throes of his distraction, you distantly regarded your meeting with Hux, remembering the surveillance order hanging over you. “I can’t,” you said, reveling in the feel of his thumbs inching ever closer to the apex of your thighs.

“I’m not asking.” Your core throbbed at the nonchalance of his voice, so sure and casual.

At the stitching of your panties, he hooked two fingers below the thin fabric, dragging them perpendicular down your slit; his gentle petting caught your breath, pulling you from your defense. “I’m being watched,” you said, the words falling as your lungs did. “I have to at least appear professional.”

He hummed, the modulation vibrating down your neck. “Your trial. I thought you were fine with whatever consequences your actions presented.”

The tips of his fingers slid between your folds, pressing around your entrance, forcing a small moan from your lips. “I was,” you breathed.

The pressure at your entrance slid up your slit; his fingers rolled your clit between them, the seams of his gloves offering an additional friction over the sensitive bundle. His other hand pressed into the pliant flesh of your inner thigh, mindlessly kneading it while your lungs chorused for his touch. “Past tense. Why is that?”

The sensation of the rough leather slick with your want robbed you of words, feeling his other digits stroke over the outside of your folds as they tortured you with their leisure. “I realized,” you said, tone shaky, “I may deserve to be here after all.”

Just as you were when he’d said them, he was immobilized; both his hands stopped moving, relaxing and resting in place as his head pulled away from your neck, your core pleading for his action to resume. But he only stood there, staring at you beyond the mask, the indecisive path of his eyes evident over your skin.

“Where do you deserve to be?” His voice was low, the modulation cutting out subtly.

Grinding against his hand, begging him to commence his earlier advances, you gaped in front of him, gaze pointedly aimed into his visor. “You know where.”

His hand left your slit, forcing a snuffed whine at the absence of his touch. “Tell me, officer. Where is ‘here’?”

There was something irresistible about his teasing, sitting here, legs splayed to receive him; your chest rose, absorbing his hidden stare. When he lifted his hands to either side of his helmet, your heart picked up in anticipation, your blood rushing at the prospect of his enamoring face. The locks hissed and he ducked out of his confines, shaking his head to clear his face of any stray strands. Not taking his eyes from yours, he placed the helmet beside you.

He pulled at the fingers of his gloves, separating them from the tips of his digits. “I won’t ask you again,” his jaw wasn’t set, lips slightly lifted at the corners, twisted in the subtlest of smirks.

“Here…” You looked over his features, silently praising his freckles, in awe of how such a sweet feature could be present under eyes so haunted.

“Yes,” the tail end of your name rose in pitch, a question, lascivious and redundant.

“Here is,” your focus shifted down to his lips, heart fluttering faster imagining them against yours. “Here is with you, as your provider. Appointed by you,” your breath shuddered, his lips fluid before you, “under the First Order.”

He hummed, face sly as his brow raised and his chin pointed towards you, placing his gloves with his helmet and returning his touch. With his hands on either of your thighs, your body buzzed as your pulse took prominent residence between your legs. His head advanced so the tips of your noses nearly touched, his breath mingling with yours. Flitting between your eyes and your lips, his eyes held the same appreciation for you as yours did him. “It only took you a couple months.”

“What are you talking about?”

His thumbs pinched into the crease of your thighs, his fingers splayed over the curve of your hips. With his lips whispering against yours, short shocks lighting at each accidental meet, he closed his eyes, prompting yours shut immediately after. “To listen to me.”

He pressed his mouth to yours, lips soft as his need reigned unmatched; it was a collision, a bludgeoning, a massacre of every atom separating you in an attempt to brand his mouth to yours. The intensity residing in his fervor fluttered your heartbeat, your core surging with chaos to find his touch again. Without leaving your lips, he slid you away from the counter, your extremities binding yourself to him as he carried you to the exam table.

Your head fell back over the piled cape, smelling the leather below, admiring its owner above. With your knees framing him, his hands slid down your thighs as his lips fell to your jaw. “Are you going to keep listening to me?” He said, the words divided as his lips traced to your neck.

As he knelt forward on his knees, his arms clutched into the edges of the table at either side of your head, you reveled in the heated shelter of his body. Without prompt, your knees locked around him, wanting him closer, needing him against you. It was in vain, though, his strength too much to overpower. One of his hands reached between his legs, mussing with his belt and layered uniform.

“Tell your friend,” he said, seething as his cock sprang away from its constriction, “you found other plans.”

Peering down over your chest, you caught view of his length, bobbing as he moved over you. You swallowed, your hands gripped around the flexing muscles of his upper arms. “I can’t.”

At your ear, Kylo grunted, tearing away from you and sitting back on his knees. He looked over you, palming his erection, face blank while he gathered precum at his tip and smoothed it over himself. “Roll over, then.”

There was no emotion to his voice, flat as his face was. You pulled back your elbows and rested on them. When you opened your mouth to contest, his eyes flared in warning, a brow lifting to question if you really wanted to challenge him. Pulling your bottom lip into your mouth, you gathered your legs and turned over so your chest was against the exam table, face flat against the now warmed leather, hands at either side of your face.

“Better,” he said.

Behind you, his hands came down over yours, his nose tracing over the helix of your raised ear. “I’m going to make you cum on my cock, and then tonight, in my quarters, you’re going to have another lesson in obedience.”

He pulled away, quickly lifting your hips so your knees and forearms bore your weight, the leather slippery beneath your warmed skin. He stood on his knees behind you, flipping your skirt up and pulling your panties down to your knees. Your name was a praise from his lips, a stark contrast from when it had come from Robbie. “Always so wet for me,” he said, pushing a finger from your entrance and down to your raised clit.

You bucked into his hand, moaning, needing more. “Kylo, you have to understand, I ca-,”

His touch left you, but quickly came back with full force, smacking against your exposed entrance, a wet echo filling the room. Every muscle below your abdomen clenched, your fists balling at the sides of your head. “I do understand, officer,” he said, smoothing his hands over your ass, digging his fingers into your hips. “But you need to understand something yourself,” the pleasant presence of a familiar pressure grazed your entrance, stretching you in its tease. “I don’t care.”

He pulled back on your hips, sheathing himself against the tight, drumming walls of your core. A long, drawn out groan tied itself to an awe-inspired cry, garbling out into nonsense as he shattered your pelvis, splitting you open to receive his merciless length all at once. With your hips high and his hands locking them to his, your walls sparked around him, feeling him throb inside of you.

“It’s been too long since this pussy broke for me,” he seethed, even out of sight you could hear the strain of his jaw. “Fuck, I forgot how good you feel.”

He pushed your hips forward, sliding out of you, absorbing the feel of your walls’ compliance as he took nearly every inch from you. As he pulled out, your breath stuttered out in short pants, the hollowness tormenting as he’d just cracked you open. You whined into the table, sweat beading at your forehead, the palms of your hands sliding against the slickened leather. The head of his cock pulsed at the base of your core, stopping a moment before he rammed back into you, your knees sliding back with his force.

He bent at his hips, his chest molding to your back, the whispers of loose tendrils tickling your spine. A hand dipped down over your slit, two fingers running against your folds as he hummed behind you. “Where are you staying tonight, officer? Tell me.”

His voice was thick with breath, his words leaking onto your nape. A shiver bloomed goosebumps under his heat, the friction of his rough robes almost painful against your sensitized skin. No matter how he would try to convince you, there was nothing he could say or do that would change your mind. “Kylo, I can’t-,”

“Another wrong answer.” His other hand snaked over your throat, trapping any words that tried to leave. “You’re down for the count with no hope of winning. Give up, it’ll be a lot easier if you do.”

His hips began a rigorous tempo, slamming into you while his hand tied around your throat and his fingers slid into your slit, his frame completely devouring you, swallowing your body into nothingness below him. He used your throat for leverage, pulling back to meet his thrusts, grunts panting from his lips in beat with his hips. Every slam of his pelvis and swirl of his fingers catalyzed your release.

“You’re getting close,” he stuttered out between thrusts. “So fucking tight, coming undone – shit – breaking for me. Such a slut, and only for your master.”

Beneath his hand, you wanted to moan, to hiccup into the room how good it felt to have him rocking against you. Even though his effort was aimed towards your defeat, you basked in how full he made you, the dull sound of your skin slapping with robes, the squeaks of voice escaping in spite of his grip; you knew you couldn’t stay with him, but that didn’t keep you from wanting to.

“And you deny it, but you know it’s what you want – to meet me tonight, to have our lesson, to please me – don’t you?”

He lifted some pressure from your throat, a go-ahead for words. “Yes, I want that,” you panted. “I want to.”

“Yes,” he grunted, his thrusts becoming crazed, coming without a pattern. “Be a good girl, give into in.”

“I want to, Kylo,” you swallowed, sweat spilling from your brow. “But I can’t.”

“You can.” The hand maintaining your clit wound tighter circles, eliciting a searing need for release just beneath your skin.

“I, I – fuck – Kylo, I-,” you could only whine, your body pummeled with his rampant push towards your climax.

“Where are you staying tonight,” he hiccuped your name. “Say it. Scream it.”

Your walls were quaking, spiraling towards the abyss he’d opened inside of you. All of your senses were trembling, buzzing as you resisted his effort to send you flying over the edge. A pained whimper, filtered through tight teeth, left you, building into a more prevalent cry.

“Tell me!” He yelled, thrusting into you, hitting your cervix in time with his swipe over your clit.

“Fuck! With you, I- Kylo, with you!”

With his body wrapped around you, the simultaneous strike of your cervix and clit, and the pressure clouding your vision – you let go, falling into a riotous, convulsive, all enthralling pit of pleasure. The growl that had resided in your throat, the one that had evoked from your attempt at resistance, had evolved into an endless string of astonished praise; it was a song you’d never sung, yet as he lost himself behind you – his hands bracing on top of yours when he fell forward, crushing you underneath him – he sounded as you did, creating a chorus of cries, a melody only known to each other.

He breathed at your ear, panting rampantly, off-beat with yours as they came between his. The weight of his body consuming yours only aided in the afterglow, your breathing obvious as his chest tided on top of your own. Every now and then he would swallow, the hiccuped sound popping next to your ear as his chin bobbed against your back. The peripheral image of his hands covering yours an added prize to the already hazed satiety which had enveloped you. He laid on top of you as he softened inside of you, staying there for an immeasurable amount of time.

To your disappointment, you couldn’t stay there forever; he sat up, a wince leaving you as he slipped out. Behind you came the shuffle of clothing and the clamber of boots as he met the floor. You were still recuperating when he came into view, his hand – gloved, yet again – smoothing over your sweat-stuck strands. As you turned to your side, he flipped your skirt back down, covering you as his cum leaked out from your core and onto leather that lied beneath.

He pinched your chin up, prompting you to crawl up on your elbows, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Twenty-two hundred. You know how I feel about tardiness.” There was a regard of fondness as he looked over your sated body.

You could only respond with the nod of your head, peering up at him, admiring him for all that he was in this moment – a beautiful man who wanted you to stay with him. With one last swipe of his thumb over your bottom lip, he gathered his helmet, ducked into it, and left you sprawled about in your own company.

After a few minutes, watching the radar on your watch to ensure his distance, you allowed your guilt to swallow you whole; you had all but promised Kylo Ren that you would come to him tonight, and although you wanted to appease him, to be with him in such an intimate way as to lie next to him, you couldn’t risk your life for something as temporary as an afterglow or a rush. Tonight you would go to Mason, a welcome break from all life had thrown at you in the past twenty-four hours.

[advertphoto]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C <span itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[aretia]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C <span itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[asafeatherwould]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C <span itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[mayarosa47]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

from https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

from Criminal Defense Lawyer West Jordan Utah - Blog http://criminaldefenselawyerwestjordanutah.weebly.com/blog/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah

[melissawalker01]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/ from Divorce Lawyer Nelson Farms Utah https://divorcelawyernelsonfarmsutah.tumblr.com/post/611533786690306048

[divorcelawyergunnisonutah]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[michaeljames1221]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C <span itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

from Criminal Defense Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://criminaldefenselawyerwestjordanutah.wordpress.com/2020/03/03/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[coming-from-hell]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/

[gonnagoandrunwiththehorses]

Is It Legal To Hand Write A Will In Utah?

Wills written by hand (not typed or created on a computer or word processor), also known as holographic wills, are only valid in a few states. However, there may be very specific requirements. For example, California requires that all sections of the will necessary to make the will valid must be written entirely by hand, and that the person writing the will must sign it. If these state rules aren’t followed, the holographic will won’t be valid. Sometimes a handwritten will is better than no will at all, sometimes it’s not. If the person writing the will doesn’t know how to write a will and leaves out important language, or if the holographic will creates ambiguity or an unintended result, then the intended property might end up going to the wrong person. If the person’s property would have gone to family members under the state laws that cover property when there’s no will (a process known as intestate succession), having no will might have achieved a result closer to the will writer’s real intentions. Drafting your own will is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, anyone can do it from their own home with a pen, paper, and two witnesses. The requirements to create your own legal will in Utah are:

• You must be at least 18 years old • You must be “of sound mind” (the fact that you are reading and understanding this article is sufficient evidence that you meet this test) • You must write the will, whether typewritten or handwritten • You must sign the will in the presence of two witnesses; and • The two witnesses must also sign the will

It is also recommended that the will be dated, an executor named, and that the witnesses sign a self proving notarized affidavit so that their testimonies aren’t needed at subsequent probate court proceedings. There is no requirement that a will be recorded or filed with a government agency or that it be notarized. Alternatively, in Utah you can create a legally enforceable will without any witnesses by creating what’s called a “holographic will”. A holographic will is simply a will where the signature and material portions of the will are in your own handwriting. While this might be simple to do, it comes under extra scrutiny in probate court and that is why it is almost always worth the little bit of effort to prepare a typed will and have it witnessed. Although it is easy to put off, everyone should have a will. A will specifies who gets your property when you die and can serve other vital purposes such as appointing a personal guardian to raise your minor children.

If you die without a will, a court decides who gets your property and who best fit to raise your children is. Written entirely in the handwriting of the testator but when all the words appearing on a paper in the handwriting of the testator are sufficient to constitute a valid holographic will, the fact that other words or printed matter appear thereon not in the handwriting of the testator, and not affecting the meaning of the words in such handwriting, shall not affect the validity of the will, and Subscribed by the testator, or with the testator’s name written in or on the will in the testator’s own handwriting, and Found after the testator’s death among the testator’s valuable papers or effects, or in a safe-deposit box or other safe place where it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority, or in the possession or custody of some person with whom, or some firm or corporation with which, it was deposited by the testator or under the testator’s authority for safekeeping.

In simple terms, you can create a handwritten document solely in your own handwriting and signed by you who can serve as your last will and testament. It’s important to emphasize that no portion of the document may be typewritten and no witnesses or notaries are required. This type of will is best reserved for simple general outright bequests of an individual’s entire estate, but as previously mentioned; there are drawbacks to this type of will. Wills are routinely challenged due to vagueness or other ambiguities. It is challenging enough for attorneys to draft wills and include sufficient language to demonstrate the testator’s (maker of the will) intent. A person who chooses to write a holographic will may fail to provide certain material language that could affect the distribution of assets.

Such a person may fail to include certain property items or assets, and create confusion about who was to receive such items. Another reason not to rush to writing a holographic will is that consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney may help you think through options available to you that you otherwise would not have considered. Clearly, creating a holographic will is not a decision one should rush off to make. With a minimal amount of time and relatively small cost, you can consult with an attorney to draft your will and have the peace of mind of knowing it was drafted correctly. A holographic or handwritten will can be a binding legal document, in some states and in some circumstances. It’s not common, but executors sometimes come across a handwritten will, signed by the deceased person but without any witnesses’ signatures.

The first question to ask is whether or not the document you’ve found was really meant to be a will. The person might just have been making some notes, in preparation for writing a real will. Look for evidence that the writer intended the document to serve as a will, including:

• a statement that “this is my last will and testament” or something similar • language naming an executor • language that indicates an intent to leave specific items of property (or “all my property”) to a named person or persons, and • a signature at the end. Some other states allow a holographic will to be probated if it was valid under the law of the state where it was signed. Finally, if the circumstances were unusual the deceased person was a soldier at war or a sailor at sea when the will was made—Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island allow holographic wills. But state law provides that the wills become invalid soon after discharge from the military or return to land. Proving the Validity of a Holographic Will After the person who wrote the will has passed away, it’s more difficult to prove the validity of a holographic will in probate court. The whole point of having witnesses watch someone sign a will, after all, is so that if there’s any question about the will’s validity, the witnesses can come to court and testify. They can state that they heard the person say the document being signed was his or her will, and that the person seemed aware of what he or she was doing and was not under the undue influence of someone hoping to inherit. If you’re an executor submitting a holographic will to probate, you must show: The entire will, or at least all the significant parts, is in the handwriting of the deceased person. That means a fill-in-the-blanks will form isn’t valid if the important parts—the clauses that leave property are preprinted. There must be evidence that the handwriting and signature are in fact those of the person who has died. This may be supplied by the testimony of people who were familiar with the person’s handwriting, or if there is an argument over the will’s validity, by an expert in handwriting analysis. The person intended the document to serve as a will. That’s usually shown by the language of the document itself, as discussed above. It might also be useful to have testimony from others, if the deceased person told them about the will. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator’s signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated: • There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods. • The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. • The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries. Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted. Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal.

How to Write A Handwritten Legal Will

If you do not have a will, you are leaving the state to decide on the distribution of all your possessions. If you have any possessions of value or any sentimental possessions you wish to go to specific individuals, you should have a legal will. Control where your possessions go. If you have extensive property and your wishes regarding the disposition of it are complex, you are probably well-advised to have your will written up by a lawyer. If on the other hand you have limited property and you can state your wishes clearly and concisely, a hand-written will could be quite adequate. Plus, you could be saving yourself hundreds of dollars. Correctly hand-written wills, known as holographic wills, are legal in only half of the states in the United States and only about half the provinces in Canada. There are also slight variations, between states, as to what constitutes a legal hand-written will. Do some research to find out what is legal in your state. If a hand-written law is legal it must be done, with slight variations, in the following way. Understand all requirements. To write a legal hand-written will, you must be of sound mind at the time of writing. Your doctor, dentist and many others who are part of your life would know this so it is not usually a concern unless you are in a position where the state of your mind is already in question. Write your will by hand. the will must be written from start to finish in your handwriting. None of the will can be typed and none of it can be printed or written by other than yourself. If even one word of the will is typed or written by anyone other than you, the will cannot be legal.

How to Make a Will Without a Lawyer

A lawyer is helpful in the will creation process because you can be confident that your will has been drafted according to your state’s laws. An attorney’s help is not essential, however. If you feel confident that you can navigate your state’s laws and express your wishes on paper in a clear and unambiguous way, you can make your own will. Each state has different formal requirements, but you may opt to comply with the laws of every state to help ensure that your will is valid. • Start a new word processing document or begin writing in ink on a blank sheet of paper. No state is particularly picky about the precise form your will takes, but most require it to be printed in ink. • Specify that the document you are creating is your will. Title the document “Last Will and Testament” and identify yourself on the first line by stating your name, city and state of residence, birth date, and your intent to create a final will. • Identify your spouse or most recent ex-spouse by name if applicable. Also supply the date and location of the marriage or divorce. • State the number of children you have who are currently living and supply their names. If any of your children are minors who will need care in the event of your death, state that you select a specific individual to act as your children’s guardian. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate guardians. • Appoint an individual to act as your estate’s personal representative. This individual will handle the legal processes involving your will and oversee the disposition of your assets to your beneficiaries. Appoint one or two additional individuals who may act as alternate personal representatives. • Identify clearly any property you are giving away and the person whom you would like to receive the property. Be as descriptive as you can, stating the beneficiary’s full name and relationship to you. When describing property, do so in a way that will be unambiguous. For instance, provide the exact address of a house rather than just saying “my home.” • Print your name, your current city and state of residence, and the date at the bottom of your document. Include a line for your signature. Below this line, create three additional areas for the names, addresses and signatures of your witnesses. • Sign your will in front of three disinterested witnesses. A disinterested witness is someone who is not a named beneficiary in your will. After you have signed, have the witnesses provide their information and signatures on the appropriate lines.

Wills and Trusts Attorney Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a will or trust in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C itemprop=”addressLocality”>West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How Long Does A Loan Modification Last?

At What Age Should You Make A Last Will And Testament?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Park City Utah

How Do You Tell Your Husband You Want A Trial Separation?

Is Possession Of A Controlled Substance A Felony In Utah?

What Are The Grounds For Legal Separation In Utah?

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-it-legal-to-hand-write-a-will-in-utah/