Murfreesboro Wills Lawyer

Wills Lawyer Murfreesboro, TN

If you do not have a will in place, Tennessee law will decide what happens to everything you own. Your house, your savings, your personal property. The state has a formula, and it does not account for your relationships, your wishes, or the specific needs of your family members.

Patterson Bray PLLC has been helping Tennessee families create, update, and protect their wills for more than 20 years. Our Murfreesboro, TN wills lawyer offers free consultations, and we can help you put a plan in place that actually reflects what you want to happen.

Why Choose Patterson Bray PLLC for Wills in Murfreesboro, TN?

Concentrated Practice in Wills and Estate Planning

Lindsay A. Jones concentrates her practice in estate planning, trust administration, asset protection, charitable giving, and business formation. She graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law and Fogelman College of Business with a joint J.D.M.B.A., cum laude. Lindsay received the Dean’s Award for Best Appellate Brief and the Herbert Herff Trustees Full Tuition Scholarship, a National Merit Scholarship. She is admitted in Tennessee and Mississippi, and she currently serves as President of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Memphis. She is also a member of WealthCounsel, LLC and the Memphis Bar Association’s Wills/Probate Section.

Larry R. Bray also devotes his entire practice to estate planning, post-death administration, and asset protection. Larry holds bar admissions in five jurisdictions, including Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, Wyoming, and the United States Tax Court. He earned his accounting degree cum laude from the University of Memphis and his Juris Doctor from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Larry serves on the Memphis Estate Planning Council and the Professional Advisors Council of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.

Together, they bring the kind of depth that matters when a will needs to hold up in court or account for a complicated family situation. As an estate planning lawyer in Murfreesboro, TN, Patterson Bray handles wills that range from straightforward to highly complex.

Real Results in Estate Matters

Our attorneys have handled significant estate and trust matters across Tennessee. Larry Bray structured a construction company sale so that $20 million of the $30 million sales price would transfer estate tax-free to the family. He also designed a combined asset protection and estate tax reduction plan for a physician who was able to settle a lawsuit for a fraction of the original amount and transfer $5 million in assets tax-free to heirs.

Free Consultations With No Pressure

We offer free consultations for will drafting and estate planning. No pressure, no obligation. We’ll sit down with you, review your situation, and explain what a will should include based on your family and financial circumstances.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Judith Denham went above and beyond our expectations. She explained everything extensively and was a pleasure to work with. I would recommend her to anyone in need of estate planning. She is excellent and deserves 10 stars!” — Liz

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Will Services We Handle in Murfreesboro

Patterson Bray handles all types of will-related matters for Murfreesboro, TN families. Here is what that includes.

Last will and testament drafting. We draft wills that comply with Tennessee execution requirements and reflect your specific wishes for asset distribution, guardian designations, and other provisions.
Will updates and amendments. Life changes, and your will should change with it. We prepare codicils and full rewrites when circumstances like marriage, divorce, new children, or significant asset changes require updates to your plan.
Trusts. Many families benefit from pairing a will with one or more trusts. A revocable living trust can keep certain assets out of probate, while an irrevocable trust can provide tax benefits and asset protection.
Guardian designations. If you have minor children, your will is where you name a guardian. Without that designation, a Rutherford County court will make the decision for you.
Probate. After a death, the will must be admitted to probate. We guide personal representatives through the entire process, from filing the petition to distributing assets and closing the estate.
Will contests and estate litigation. When a will is challenged on grounds of undue influence, lack of capacity, or improper execution, we represent clients in estate litigation proceedings.
Power of attorney and advance directives. A will only takes effect after death. Powers of attorney and healthcare directives protect you while you’re still alive but unable to make decisions for yourself.
Business succession. Business owners need their wills to address ownership transfers, buyout provisions, and management succession. Getting this wrong can force a sale or create disputes among heirs.

Tennessee Legal Requirements for Wills

Tennessee has specific rules about who can make a will, how it must be executed, and what happens if you die without one. These rules are not optional. A will that does not comply with the statutes is invalid, regardless of what you intended.

Under T.C.A. § 32-1-102, any person who is at least 18 years old and of sound mind may make a will. “Sound mind” means you understand what you own, who your natural beneficiaries are, and the consequences of signing the document. Age and capacity are both required.

For a typed or printed will to be valid in Tennessee, T.C.A. § 32-1-104 requires the testator to sign the will in the presence of at least two attesting witnesses. Those witnesses must then sign in the presence of the testator and each other. Miss any of these steps and the will fails. Tennessee courts have invalidated wills where the witnesses signed separately or signed only the self-proving affidavit but not the will itself.

Tennessee also recognizes holographic wills under T.C.A. § 32-1-105. A holographic will must be written entirely in the testator’s handwriting, signed by the testator, and later proved by two witnesses who can verify the handwriting. No attesting witnesses are needed at the time of signing. But holographic wills are risky. Fill-in-the-blank forms, typed portions mixed with handwriting, or a missing signature can all render the document invalid.

If a person dies without a valid will, Tennessee intestacy law controls distribution. The surviving spouse inherits everything if there are no children. If children survive, the spouse receives one-third or a child’s share of the estate, whichever is greater. The rest passes to the children. These rules apply automatically and cannot be changed after death.

Probate matters in Rutherford County are handled through the County Clerk’s office and the Chancery Court. The personal representative must file the will, provide notice to beneficiaries and creditors, and manage the estate through administration.

Important Aspects of a Wills Case in Murfreesboro

Making Sure the Will Is Properly Executed

Execution errors are the most common reason wills are challenged in Tennessee. The testator must sign in front of both witnesses. Both witnesses must sign in front of the testator and each other. All of this must happen at the same time. We also prepare a self-proving affidavit, which allows the will to be admitted to probate without requiring the witnesses to appear in court. That affidavit is separate from the will itself, and both must be completed correctly.

Coordinating With Beneficiary Designations

Your will does not control everything. Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and payable-on-death bank accounts all pass according to their own beneficiary forms, not your will. If those forms name an ex-spouse or a deceased relative, the assets go to the wrong person. We review all beneficiary designations alongside the will to make sure everything is consistent. This is one of the most common planning mistakes we see.

Planning for Minor Children

Parents with young children need two things in their will: a guardian designation and a trust for the children’s inheritance. Naming a guardian prevents a court from choosing for you. Setting up a trust prevents an 18-year-old from receiving a lump sum they may not be ready to manage. We typically recommend staggered distributions at specified ages so that assets are available when they’re actually needed.

Addressing Blended Families

Second marriages and blended families create unique challenges. Without careful drafting, a surviving spouse might inherit everything while the children from a prior marriage receive nothing. Or assets intended for one set of children could end up passing to stepchildren instead. We draft wills and trusts that protect beneficiaries on all sides while honoring the testator’s actual wishes.

Protecting Against Will Contests

A will contest can delay the administration of an estate for months or years and cost the estate significantly in legal fees. Common grounds for a challenge include lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence by a family member or caregiver, and improper execution. We take specific steps during the drafting and signing process to minimize the risk of a successful challenge.

Keeping Your Will Current

A will that was accurate five years ago may not reflect your situation today. Marriage, divorce, births, deaths, moves to a new state, and changes in asset value all warrant a review. We advise clients to revisit their wills at least every three to five years. If a major life event happens sooner, update your plan then.

Contact Patterson Bray PLLC

If you need a wills attorney in Murfreesboro, TN, Patterson Bray PLLC can help. We offer free consultations and will take the time to understand your family, your assets, and your goals before recommending a plan. Whether you need a straightforward will or a more involved estate plan with trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, we handle it all.

Contact us to schedule a consultation. We serve clients throughout Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, and the greater Middle Tennessee area.