When writing a will, you may decide that you want to disinherit someone. This is a person who ordinarily would have been named as a beneficiary, perhaps because they were in a previous version of your estate plan or because they are a direct relative, such as an adult child.
The best way to disinherit them is to specifically name them in your will. You can then leave simple instructions stating that this individual should not receive any of your assets. You are officially cutting them out of the estate plan, and you are taking that step intentionally.
Making this clear helps to avoid any allegations that you simply forgot them or did not realize that you were disinheriting them. This can limit the chances that they will challenge the estate plan when they find out that they are not receiving anything.
Should you leave them a minimal inheritance?
You may have heard of cases where people leave someone a dollar or another minimal inheritance as a way of disinheriting them.
While you could do this, there is generally no reason to do so. People sometimes take this step to make it clear that the person was not being left out unintentionally or forgotten. Leaving someone a dollar shows that you intended to cut them out of the will.
However, it is often better to simply name them in the estate plan and clearly state your wishes, rather than leaving them a small inheritance that they may view as insulting.
Drafting your estate plan
Disinheriting someone is just one potential step you may want to consider when putting your estate plan in place. Be sure you fully understand all of the legal options you have during this process.