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Where There's a Will...

Safeguarding Your Child's Future

By Melissa Granberry

So where do you begin? "The best way to create a will is to see an attorney," says Lipiec. However, he realizes that some people do not have the time or the money to sit down with a lawyer. With the abundance of information on the Internet and user-friendly software such as WillMaker, many people are opting to create their own wills.

"Our needs were pretty simple, and the software provided a fast, inexpensive solution," says Dan Burnette, a father of three in Allen, Texas. "It provided lots of questions we didn't even think of, and we were forced to make accommodations for several contingencies."

To facilitate people who choose to create their own will, Lipiec came up with America's Plain Language Will Kit. "The majority of software is one size fits all," Lipiec says. However, people have different needs that require different considerations. "That is why I have created my will kit in two versions," he says. "One is for single people, with or without children, and the other is for people in their first marriage with at least one child."

He also adds that his will kit is not for everyone. "There are times when this will kit would not be appropriate, such as if you are in your second [or subsequent] marriage or if you do not intend to leave everything to your spouse," he says. "Certain situations require an attorney."

If you choose an attorney, Kotzer recommends gathering information about what you own and how you hold your assets before your initial interview. "For example, if you own a bank account in joint name with your brother, you can't leave it to your wife in the will," Kotzer says. He also says that it is better to be generic in the will as opposed to being specific and listing everything. "We try to prepare the will so that it covers assets that are acquired in the future," he says.

Want to see more?

• Who Will Love the Children? Why It's Important to Name a Guardian for Your Kids
• Life Insurance Quiz: Which Should You Buy, and How Much Do You Need?
• Adulthood by Choice: Don't Leave Your Child's Future to Chance
• Talk about it!