ABA Family Legal Guide

Estate Planning

Wills

Homer's a laid-back sort of guy. His heart's in the right place, but he doesn't want to go through all the formalities involved in writing a will. He tells his wife, Marge, that he wants to leave everything to her, and he even scrawls that message on the back of a bar napkin. Any chance that this informal "will" is going to do the trick?

This section details the steps of preparing a will, including working with a lawyer or estate planner, deciding what to include in a will, choosing your beneficiaries and executor, and making the will legal.

1. Do I have to have a lawyer to write my will?
2. Do I have to write my will?
3. What happens if I die without a will?
4. Who gets my property if I die without a will?
5. Does a will cover all my property?
6. Are there any special legal formalities required to make my will legally valid?
7. Does it matter who my witnesses are?
8. In my will, can I leave my property to anyone I wish?
9. Can I disinherit my spouse and children?
10. What share will my spouse receive under state law?

Subsections

1. The Executor
2. Setting Up a Will