A will is a document in which the testator wishes to distribute assets, property, and care for people. It’s a very good idea to make a will, just to make sure that all of his belongings end up in the right hands after he dies. He must sign the will in the presence of a witness. For a will to be valid, it must follow specific guidelines. This also means that certain items and valuables will not be included in the will. Learn more about typical will exclusions.

• As you can easily imagine, the authorities will not probate wills passing firearms and illegal substances. There are exceptions when the firearms belong to a collection and have been decommissioned. Ancient weapons are very valuable and it is imperative to pass them on to trusted heirs.

• Jointly owned properties are also problematic. You cannot add joint tenancy property to your will. With this type of ownership, when one joint owner dies, the other joint owner automatically owns the property.

• Plus, life insurance proceeds automatically go to designated beneficiaries. But you can name your estate as the beneficiary. In this case, the income will go through the will and through probate before being distributed to designated beneficiaries. You should remember that an estate process is quite lengthy and it can take years for a final distribution plan to be approved and implemented. The same rule applies to stocks and bonds for which you have selected a beneficiary. To change the beneficiary, you must speak with the brokerage firm.

• Keep in mind that the legal purpose of a will is to ensure the distribution of your assets after your death. Anything beyond those limits cannot legally be accepted in a will. For example, you cannot add funeral instructions and final arrangements. In addition to legal issues, you should remember that many family members may not know that you have a will or how to access it. That is why you should write your final wishes in a separate document that will be more accessible.

• Adding some illegal or unfair conditions to inherit some items will not be accepted. For example, you cannot force your heirs to change their religion in order to have access to your assets.

• You cannot use a will to escape estate taxes. Passing taxes on your estate to your heirs is illegal.