How to make a will

Dec 3

You don’t want to do this but you know you have to do this.

By making a will, you make sure that your loved ones and things will be taken care of according to your wishes. It doesn’t have to be complicated and won’t take you hours to cover the basics. Unless you own a multi-million dollar company or have a complicated estate you don’t need to overthink this.

I get it, life gets busy, we are juggling a bunch of things and thinking about death is not something we want to really focus on but if you have people you love in your life, you need to have a will.

Here are a few suggestions on how to get started:

1. Set a deadline. Some of us say we need to do make a will and perhaps get started but don’t follow through. My recommendation is pick a date when you wish for this task to be completed and GET IT DONE. If you have a partner, make a money date, have this on your agenda, and make the commitment to getting it done.

2. Find out if you live in a city/town that requires you to hire a lawyer to create a legal will. You can easily find the information you need by doing a simple Google search.

3. Ask family, friends, or colleagues at work how they created their wills and get a good recommendation from them. Word of mouth is always the preferred option over trying to find someone cold turkey. You could also mention it to your independent financial advisor. It is likely that they will have someone in their Rolodex who can assist you if you need it.

If you don’t have any friends or family or work colleagues, do another google search to look up a will attorney in your area, read the reviews, compare rates and set up a call. You should not be charged for an initial consultation and make sure you feel a connection with this person. This is extremely important information you will be giving them, so you should have someone you feel comfortable with supporting you.

4. Create one online! It’s an inexpensive way to accomplish this task. You can have your will done, printed out and stored away all in a day or two. This is a convenient option if you don’t want to work through an attorney or if you don’t have too many assets to deal with. Ensure that the online will you choose is legit and don't procrastinate. Set a deadline and get to it. It’s much easier than you think. (Go to “Questions to ask yourself and (your partner) before making a will” to prepare).

Coaching questions:

1. What is holding you back from making your will?

2. What is the first things you need to do to get started?

3.. How will you feel once you’ve completed your will? (hopefully the answer to this question gets you motivated!)

Now off you go and get THIS DONE! (yes I know, I keep saying this…) Need any support? Feel free to reach out or leave a comment below.