Making a Will

In almost all cases, your will does not affect property that you have arranged to leave by another method. To avoid confusion, you shouldn't include such property in your will.

Here are the few simple steps you need to take to create your will.

Here is an example of a will, including explanations of many will clauses.

Searching online, you can find a variety of will templates that allow you to make your own will, without a lawyer. They each require varying amount of work and they range in price and quality.

Statutory wills are wills created by a state legislature and written into state law.

A self-proving affidavit is a sworn statement attached to a will, signed by the will maker and his or her witnesses, that attests to the validity of the will.

If you simply write down your wishes for who you want to inherit your property, have you created a legally binding will? It depends on where you live.

Writing a formal will, even if you don’t hire a lawyer to do it for you, may seem like a lot of trouble and expense. But simply recording your wishes on video does not make a valid will.

If you’ve looked into creating a revocable living trust to avoid probate, you may have heard of a “pour-over will.”

When you die, your estate may be liable for a variety of debts, expenses, and taxes. How do you want them paid?

Putting strings on bequests you leave in your will can cause confusion. It's best to seek a lawyer's help.

If you move, should you throw out your estate planning documents?

A codicil is a document that’s added to an existing will, to change or add to it. And it's virtually obsolete.

The best way to revoke (or get rid of) an existing will is to create a new will to replace it. Merely destroying the original will may not be enough. Here's why.