Life happens, and you can’t possibly be prepared for everything it will throw at you. But one way to stay ahead of the curve is to write your will. A will’s purpose is to let your loved ones know what should happen to your possessions and property upon your death. It gives them less to worry about on the list of things they’ll need to do and may help simplify the forms they’ll need to complete after you’re gone. 

What happens if you die without a will?

If you don’t have a will prepared before the end of your life, you die “intestate.” Most, if not all, of your assets are distributed through a court-supervised process, called probate, based on the intestacy laws of the state you reside in, and you don’t get to decide how your estate is split up.

Probate is called “intestate succession,” and while different state laws for intestate succession exist, in general, the court writes up a list of people who could possibly fill the role of executor of your estate. After that, assets are dispersed, though usually they can only be transferred to spouses, registered domestic partners, or blood relatives. 

Probate can be time-consuming and expensive, and some people would rather learn how to avoid probate all together. However, if you die without a will, then your loved ones wouldn’t be able to avoid probate.

Wills and advance funeral planning

A will is meant to specify what you’d like done with your financial assets and physical property, but certain instructions shouldn’t be included. Many families don’t read a will until after the funeral service has already been held, so funeral arrangements mentioned in the will become irrelevant. Instead, you can preplan — and prepay for — your funeral with Preneed Funeral insurance.

With Preneed insurance, you sit down with your funeral director, list everything that you want included in your funeral, and tally up the cost of the service. You can either pay the amount in one installment or through monthly premiums. Upon your death, the funds are used to pay the funeral home for your funeral. You can ensure that you are remembered the way you want to be remembered, and your loved ones aren’t burdened with the planning or expenses while they’re grieving.

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Writing your will guarantees that your possessions will be dispersed the way you want them to be and provides a strong foundation for end-of-life planning. By preplanning your funeral with Preneed Funeral insurance, you can help ease the burden on your loved ones even more.

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