Almost every adult benefits from a will, but a few situations make one urgent: you have children under 18, you own a home, you have specific wishes about who gets what, or your family situation is complicated (blended family, an estranged relative, a partner you are not married to).

If you die without one, the state decides who inherits using a fixed formula — and that formula rarely matches what you would have chosen. It can also slow everything down and add cost for the people you leave behind.

The good news: a basic will does not have to be expensive. Many people are well served by a simple, properly witnessed will. The key is that it is signed and witnessed correctly for your state — an unsigned draft is worth nothing.

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws vary by state. For your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.