Simple Will - Wyoming

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

of
[TESTATOR FULL LEGAL NAME]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Article I Declarations & Revocation
2. Article II Definitions
3. Article III Testamentary Representations
4. Article IV Appointment of Personal Representative

5. Article V Disposition of Property
    5.1 Specific Devises and Bequests
    5.2 Residuary Estate

6. Article VI Guardianship of Minor Children

7. Article VII Fiduciary Powers & Administration
8. Article VIII Tax Allocation & Apportionment
9. Article IX Executor Indemnity & Liability Limitation
10. Article X No-Contest Clause
11. Article XI Governing Law & Probate Forum
12. Article XII General Provisions
13. Article XIII Execution & Attestation
14. Article XIV Self-Proving Affidavit (Optional)

ARTICLE I

DECLARATIONS & REVOCATION

1.1 Identification. I, [TESTATOR FULL LEGAL NAME], presently residing at [ADDRESS], being of sound mind and over the age of eighteen (18) years, hereby declare this instrument to be my Last Will and Testament (the “Will”).

1.2 Revocation. I hereby revoke all prior wills and codicils made by me.

1.3 Family Information. I am [married to [SPOUSE NAME] / unmarried]. I have the following children: [LIST CHILDREN NAMES & DATES OF BIRTH]. References to my “Children” or “Issue” shall include legally adopted descendants unless expressly excluded.

ARTICLE II

DEFINITIONS

For ease of administration, the following capitalized terms have the meanings set forth below:

“Estate” All property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, wherever situated, owned by me at death, including any property over which I hold a power of appointment.

“Personal Representative” The individual or institution appointed under Article IV (sometimes referred to as “Executor”) to administer my Estate.

“Beneficiary” Any person or entity entitled to receive a distribution under this Will.

“Residuary Estate” All property remaining after payment of debts, expenses, taxes, and the specific gifts in § 5.1.

ARTICLE III

TESTAMENTARY REPRESENTATIONS

3.1 Capacity & Voluntariness. I declare that I possess testamentary capacity and am executing this Will voluntarily, free of undue influence or duress.

3.2 Knowledge of Assets. I have made a reasonable effort to identify my assets; however, inadvertent omissions shall not invalidate this Will.

ARTICLE IV

APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

4.1 Primary Appointment. I nominate [PRIMARY EXECUTOR NAME], having an address at [ADDRESS], as Personal Representative of my Estate.

4.2 Successor Appointment. If the primary Personal Representative is unable or unwilling to serve, I nominate [SUCCESSOR EXECUTOR NAME] as successor.

4.3 Bond Waiver. No bond or other security shall be required of any Personal Representative unless mandated by the supervising court.

ARTICLE V

DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY

5.1 Specific Devises and Bequests

(a) Real Property. I devise my real property located at [LEGAL DESCRIPTION / ADDRESS] to [BENEFICIARY NAME].
(b) Personal Property. I bequeath the following:
 (i) [Item] to [Beneficiary];
 (ii) [Item] to [Beneficiary].

5.2 Residuary Estate

All property not effectively disposed of above I give, devise, and bequeath to [PRIMARY RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY].
(a) If [PRIMARY RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY] does not survive me, the Residuary Estate shall pass to [ALTERNATE BENEFICIARY] per stirpes.
(b) Survivorship; Antilapse. A Beneficiary must survive me by thirty (30) days to take under this Will. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Beneficiary who is a grandparent of mine, or a lineal descendant of a grandparent of mine, fails to survive me (or is treated as having predeceased me), the antilapse rule of Wyo. Stat. § 2-6-106 shall apply so that the issue of that deceased Beneficiary take in the Beneficiary's place, per stirpes, unless this Will expressly provides otherwise.

ARTICLE VI

GUARDIANSHIP OF MINOR CHILDREN

6.1 Nomination. If at my death any of my Children are minors, I nominate [GUARDIAN NAME] as Guardian of the person and estate of such minor Children. If [GUARDIAN NAME] is unable or unwilling to serve, I nominate [ALTERNATE GUARDIAN NAME].

6.2 Bond Waiver. No bond shall be required of any Guardian so nominated.

ARTICLE VII

FIDUCIARY POWERS & ADMINISTRATION

7.1 Statutory Powers. My Personal Representative shall have all powers granted to personal representatives under the Wyoming Probate Code, Wyo. Stat. Title 2, Chapter 7 (Administration of Estates), including without limitation the powers to sell, mortgage, pledge, lease, or exchange estate property under Wyo. Stat. § 2-7-612, and to take possession of, manage, and distribute estate property in cash or in kind under Wyo. Stat. § 2-7-401.

7.2 Discretion & Delegation. The Personal Representative may act in his or her sole discretion, may employ professionals, and may delegate authority as permitted by law.

7.3 Principal & Income. The Personal Representative may determine what is principal or income for all purposes, including tax allocations.

ARTICLE VIII

TAX ALLOCATION & APPORTIONMENT

8.1 All estate, inheritance, and similar transfer taxes arising because of my death shall be paid from the Residuary Estate without apportionment among Beneficiaries, except as otherwise provided by any governing instrument expressly outside this Will.

8.2 The Personal Representative may make elections under federal or state tax laws, allocate the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption, and adjust distributions to effect equitable apportionment.

ARTICLE IX

EXECUTOR INDEMNITY & LIABILITY LIMITATION

9.1 Indemnity. My Estate shall indemnify and hold harmless each Personal Representative and Guardian from and against any and all liability, loss, cost, or expense incurred in good-faith administration of my Estate, except for acts or omissions constituting gross negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith.

9.2 Liability Cap. No fiduciary shall be personally liable beyond the assets of the Estate for any claim connected to the administration of this Will.

ARTICLE X

NO-CONTEST CLAUSE

10.1 If any Beneficiary contests this Will or any of its provisions, directly or indirectly, such Beneficiary shall forfeit and be deemed to have predeceased me for purposes of receiving any share under this Will, and his or her interest shall pass as though he or she failed to survive me.

ARTICLE XI

GOVERNING LAW & PROBATE FORUM

11.1 Governing Law. This Will is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming (state_probate_law).

11.2 Exclusive Forum. Pursuant to Wyo. Stat. § 2-2-101, the District Court of [COUNTY] County, State of Wyoming, sitting in probate (referred to in Title 2 of the Wyoming Statutes as the "probate court"), has exclusive original jurisdiction over the probate and contest of this Will, the granting of letters testamentary, and the settlement and distribution of my Estate, and all such matters shall be filed there (state_probate_court).

11.3 Jury Waiver. To the extent Wyoming law is later construed to permit a jury trial in any proceeding relating to the probate or contest of this Will, all parties waive any such right respecting any claim arising under or in connection with this Will (no_jury_probate).

ARTICLE XII

GENERAL PROVISIONS

12.1 Severability. If any provision of this Will is determined invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain fully effective.

12.2 Headings. Section headings are for convenience only and shall not affect interpretation.

12.3 Gender & Number. As used herein, words in the singular include the plural and vice versa; pronouns include any gender.

12.4 Digital Assets. The Personal Representative may access, manage, and dispose of my digital assets in accordance with the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act as adopted in Wyoming, Wyo. Stat. §§ 2-3-1001 through 2-3-1017.

ARTICLE XIII

EXECUTION & ATTESTATION

I, [TESTATOR NAME], sign my name to this Will on this ___ day of __________, 20___, at ____________________________, Wyoming, declaring it to be my Last Will and Testament in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, who, at my request and in my presence, have subscribed their names hereto.

____________________________________
[TESTATOR NAME], Testator

Attestation Clause

We, the undersigned witnesses, declare that on the date above, the Testator voluntarily signed and executed this instrument as his/her Last Will and Testament, that he/she signed it in our presence, and that we, in the Testator’s presence and at his/her request, have signed our names as witnesses. To the best of our knowledge, the Testator is eighteen (18) years of age or older, of sound mind, and under no constraint or undue influence.

ARTICLE XIV

SELF-PROVING AFFIDAVIT
(Wyo. Stat. § 2-6-114 – Optional but Strongly Recommended)

State of Wyoming )
County of __________) ss.

We, [TESTATOR NAME], [WITNESS #1], and [WITNESS #2], the Testator and the witnesses respectively, whose names are signed to the attached instrument, being first duly sworn, declare to the undersigned authority that the Testator executed said instrument as his/her Last Will and Testament, that the Testator signed willingly and that each witness, in the presence and hearing of the Testator, signed the Will as witness; that, to the best of the knowledge of each witness, the Testator was at the time eighteen (18) or more years of age, of sound mind, and under no constraint or undue influence.

____________________________________
[TESTATOR NAME], Testator

____________________________________
[WITNESS #1 NAME], Witness

____________________________________
[WITNESS #2 NAME], Witness

Subscribed, sworn to, and acknowledged before me by the Testator and the above-named witnesses on this ___ day of __________, 20___.

____________________________________
Notary Public
My Commission Expires: __________