Nobody ever wants to think about getting a will, but it’s something you have to consider just to be on the safe side should anything happen. Here’s why.

It Puts You in Control. – If you get a will, you put yourself in control of what happens to your estate after you die. You decide how it’ll all be distributed. After all, a will is a legally binding document. If you pass away without getting a will, there’s no safe guarantee that your estate will be distributed as you would have really, truly wanted it.

Mitigate Legal Issues. – If you pass away without a will, not only could your estate be distributed differently than you would have wanted, it could be distributed to people whom you never would have even put there in the first place. For example, a man once won $1 million in a lawsuit. When he died, his father — whom he hadn’t seen in over 30 years — stood to inherit it. Rather than letting such a situation happen, get a will to make sure only those you love get a piece of your estate.

Minimize Estate Taxes. – Paying estate taxes, or as they’re sometimes called death taxes, are a part of the probate process. If you have a will, though, you’ll be able to minimize how much you have to pay in estate taxes. The value of what you decide to bequeath to your family, friends, and charity will reduce the value of your estate when it’s time to pay those estate taxes.

If you don’t already have one, get in touch with one of your area’s personal estate planning services that can help you take care of writing a will. If you have any questions about getting a will, feel free to share in the comments.