Wills

A will is one of the foundation documents in many estate plans. In plain terms, it is the document in which you state how you want property in your individual name to pass at death, and where you nominate the person you want to serve as Executor.

That does not mean a will controls every asset. Some property may pass by joint ownership, beneficiary designation, or trust terms. Even so, a will often remains an important part of the overall plan because it provides a clear written direction to the Probate Court about assets that do need to pass through probate.

For parents of minor children, a will is also the document where you may state your preference as to who should serve as guardian if both parents are gone before the children reach adulthood. That is one of the reasons many people want a current will in place even if their circumstances seem otherwise straightforward.

How a Will Fits Into the Larger Plan

A will is often prepared together with a durable power of attorney, a New Hampshire advance directive, and in some cases a revocable trust. The right combination depends on your assets, your family situation, and whether you are planning only for death or also for incapacity and longer-term administration concerns.

For some families, a carefully prepared will is enough. For others, the better question is not whether a will is necessary, but how the will should work together with trusts, beneficiary designations, deeds, business interests, or family agreements already in place.

When It Makes Sense to Review a Will

It often makes sense to review a will when:

you have married, divorced, or remarried
you have had children or grandchildren
you have moved property, changed beneficiaries, or updated other planning documents
your choice of Executor or guardian is no longer the right one
your plan needs to work sensibly with a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement

A current will is not the whole estate plan, but it is often one of the documents that keeps the rest of the plan from becoming uncertain later.