Writing a will is something that people know they need to do, but they still don’t do it - they’ll put it off for years rather than think about it, and because it’s not a legal requirement or something people talk about, it can even be forgotten. But that’s not a great situation to be in when the time comes for your will to be useful, and not having one can be a lot more problematic than you might realise. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about writing a will so you can get started - the sooner you do it, the sooner it’s done. 

Photo by Anna Shvets

A Will Gives You Control

A will is essentially a legal document that sets out what should happen to your money, property, and belongings after you die, and without one, the law gets to decide how your estate is divided, and that might not actually be what you want. 

If you write a will, it’s going to give you the best chance of making your wishes completely clear, whether that’s leaving things to family, friends, charities, or a combination - it’s your choice in your voice and that’s the point. 

It Can Make Things Much Easier For Loved Ones 

When someone dies, the people left behind are the ones who have to deal with all the paperwork, but they’re also dealing with their grief at the same time, which makes things even harder. If you’ve got a will ready, that’s going to speed up the process and take away a lot of difficult decisions, which is a kindness for those who are sorting things out. 

Your will can help your family understand what you wanted, reduces the chance of disputes, and can speed up the legal process, so it’s a good thing to do for a lot of different - and very important - reasons. 

Funeral Wishes Can Be Included 

Although a will isn’t always the best place for funeral instructions, you can still include some general ideas of what you want, including whether you want burial or cremation, for example. 

Some people choose to speak with a good funeral provider in advance, like Academy Funeral Services, for example, so they’ve got all the information, pricing, and more. That can make things a lot easier for the people left behind. 

Keep It Updated

Although you might just want to write your will and file it away somewhere (somewhere people can find it, of course), and although that is what can happen a lot of the time, the fact is that life can change, and when it does, it’s wise to check your will and update it if you need to. 

For example, you might get a divorce, or perhaps you have more children, or maybe your financial situation changes, or you buy more property (or sell some). If your will is outdated and talks about people who are no longer here, or doesn’t mention people who are, that’s just going to cause a lot of problems when it should be a simple process of writing a few more lines or removing some information. 

It’s a good idea to check your will every year or so to make sure it’s still relevant.