Judging by our last two examples, a will is not the be-all and end-all, but it’s a good place to start. If you don’t have one, get one right away. Otherwise, strangers will be making decisions about your assets. That’s right. If you die without a will…it’s not your spouse, or your attorney who determines what happens to everything you own, it’s your state. Think about the abandoned property lists that run in your local paper. The majority of that property is listed because it came into state hands by default in the absence of a will.

Talk to an attorney. (This is not imperative, but a smart idea if your situation is the least bit complicated.)

Name an executor and a guardian for your minor children.

Sign your will and have it witnessed (by someone other than a beneficiary of your will).