A surviving spouse may elect to take a percentage of the augmented estate. An augmented estate is the estate reduced by funeral and administrative expenses, homestead allowance, family allowances and exemptions, and enforceable claims to which is added the sum of property that was transferred by the decedent without adequate compensation. For example, a father has all his property in joint tenancy with his son. After the death of one spouse, the survivor's estate will include his or her own property and usually all or part of the deceased spouse's estate. Therefore, it is just as important for a non-earner spouse to have a will as it is for the primary breadwinner, and for many of the same reasons.
Children have no vested interest in their parent's property.
If you have children, any or all may be disinherited. Parents do not have to leave a small sum such as a dollar to a child to show that he or she was not forgotten. Otherwise, a child could contest a will claiming that Dad was of unsound mind. If a testator fails to provide in his will for any of his children born or adopted after the execution of his will, the omitted child may claim, under certain conditions, a share in the estate equal in value to that which he would have received if the testator had died without writing a will. Other wills must be signed by two persons who witnessed either the signing of, or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will.