Writing a will: the basics
What to gather and decide before seeing a lawyer or notary: assets, an executor, a guardian for the kids, and where to keep it. Not legal advice — preparation for getting it.

[ ] List everything worth accounting for
    Property, accounts, investments, the car, valuables, and digital assets (crypto, domains, accounts holding real money) — the digital ones get forgotten precisely because they're not physical.
[ ] List debts and outstanding obligations too
    A will deals with the whole estate, not just the assets — an unlisted debt becomes a problem for whoever inherits.
[ ] Decide on your executor
    Someone organized and willing — and ask them BEFORE naming them. It's a real job with paperwork and deadlines, not just an honorary title.
[ ] Name a backup executor
    In case the first one can't serve when the time actually comes.
[ ] Name a legal guardian for minor children
    And talk to that person first — for many parents, this single item is the reason they finally get a will done.
[ ] Consider a trust or staged inheritance instead of a lump sum at 18
    If a full lump sum at 18 isn't what you want, ask a lawyer about trust or age-staged options.
[ ] Decide specific bequests versus a general split
    The more specifically it's spelled out who gets what, the less room there is for disputes between heirs.
[ ] Check beneficiary designations on accounts and policies
    In most places, joint accounts and named beneficiaries on insurance or retirement accounts pass automatically and override the will — update those separately.
[ ] Check what makes a will legally valid where you live
    Witnesses, notarization, whether a handwritten will counts — rules vary a lot, verify the current requirements rather than trusting a generic template.
[ ] Decide whether to use a lawyer, notary, or will-writing service
    Property abroad, a blended family, business ownership — complexity usually tips the choice toward a lawyer rather than a generic template.
[ ] Ask about a separate will if you own assets in more than one country
    Conflicting wills across jurisdictions can invalidate each other — ask a lawyer familiar with both countries involved.
[ ] Note funeral wishes in a separate, faster-to-find document
    The will itself may not be read until after the funeral — keep ceremony preferences somewhere that gets found faster.
[ ] Store the signed original somewhere safe
    And tell your executor exactly where — a perfect will nobody can find is as good as no will at all.
[ ] Tell a second trusted person where it is
    Not just the executor — in case something happens to them too, or they're unreachable when it matters.
[ ] Set a reminder to review the will after major life events
    Marriage, divorce, a new child, a major asset change, moving country — each is a trigger to check it's still accurate.
[ ] Check how divorce or remarriage affects an existing will
    In several jurisdictions it automatically voids part of the will — check the local rule and update the document promptly.
[ ] Note care wishes for pets if you have them
    Who's agreed to take them — in most legal systems a pet is property, not an heir, and needs its own explicit line.
[ ] Consider a power of attorney and healthcare directive alongside the will
    A different document, but the same logic: have it ready before you need it, not drafted in the middle of a crisis.
[ ] Talk to family about the broad shape of your decisions
    Disputes usually come from surprise, not from the decisions themselves — talking about it in advance defuses most of the future tension.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/writing-a-will