• Built around your family

  Whether you are single, married or in a common-law partnership changes the questions and the wording: a spouse or partner can be named as the one who receives everything, or as your executor.

• Name your children and a guardian

  List up to four children, and say who you would want as guardian for a child who depends on you. Whether a guardian can be named in a will is a state-law point your lawyer confirms with you.

• Share the estate your way

  Leave everything to one person or organization, or share it between up to four in proportions you set, and name someone to step in if a beneficiary does not outlive you.

• Specific gifts

  List up to three gifts, each to a person or a charity, each with its own replacement recipient if you want one.

• An executor and a replacement

  Choose one or two executors, with up to two replacements if your first choice cannot or will not act.

• Pets and your own instructions

  Name up to two pets, a caretaker and an amount to set aside for each, and add any other instruction in your own words.

• Honest about what it leaves out

  Every draft says plainly that it is not valid until signed as your state requires, and that the signing requirements are for a lawyer to supply. Available for California, Florida, New York and Texas.

A last will and testament is a written statement of what you want to happen to your property after you die. In it you can say who receives what, name the person who will carry out your wishes (the executor), and, if you have children who depend on you, say who you would want to look after them.

You decide how detailed it is. It can be as short as naming one person to receive everything, or it can leave particular gifts to particular people, set aside something for a pet, and say what should happen if the people you name are no longer alive.

A will only works if it is made in the way the law of your state requires. How it must be signed and witnessed, and which rights your family may have whatever the will says, differ from one state to the next. This builder records your choices in clear language and leaves those points to be settled with a lawyer before you sign; it does not decide them for you.

Not sure? Talk to an attorney about your situation first.

These are separate documents, for different jobs.

• CodicilChange part of an existing will without rewriting it.View document
• Pour-over willA will that passes whatever is left into your trust.View document
• Power of attorneyName someone you trust to handle your finances if you can't.View document

• After the birth of a child, to name a guardian and the people who should receive your estate
• After a marriage or a separation, when who you would choose has changed
• When buying a home or starting a business, as part of getting your affairs in order
• Alongside a power of attorney, as part of one plan

• CodicilChange part of an existing will without rewriting it.View document
• Pour-over willA will that passes whatever is left into your trust.View document
• Just-in-case instructionsLeave clear instructions for whoever would need to step in.View document
• Estate-planning documentsThe documents that plan how your estate is handled.View document