Wills, Living Wills & Health Care Power of Attorney

Do you have a will? Between half and two-thirds of American adults don’t. Do you need a will? Only if you answer yes to any of the questions below:

Do you care who gets your property if you die?

Do you care who gets your money if you die?

Do you care who is appointed guardian of your children if you die?

If you die without a will, the state writes one for you. The court names a guardian for your minor children and divvies up your assets according to state law. If you’re single with no dependents, your parents or your siblings inherit your possessions. If you don’t have any blood relatives, the state gets your money. The good news is, you probably don’t need a lawyer to create your own will. Most people can create their own wills with legal software or websites.

Here are three to get you started:

Quicken Willmaker Plus

Build a Will

Legal Zoom

Other things to take care of while you’re at it:

A Living Will: lets you specify decisions about artificial life support in advance. It not only ensures your wishes will be heard, but also protects your loved ones from having to make these difficult, deeply personal choices for you.

A Health Care Power of Attorney lets you appoint someone you trust to make specific healthcare decisions for you.