As much as you may want to avoid thinking about your mortality, you should keep in mind that life is so unpredictable. Writing a will helps ensure that your property and assets will be distributed according to your final wishes once you've passed on. This can potentially protect those you love and care for from being deprived of a share of your estate once you're no longer around to cater to their well-being.  

You can write your own will if you want, but it's always best to hire a wills and estates lawyer to handle the task for you. Here's why.

To avoid costly mistakes

Drafting a will is no easy task. There are lots of legal requirements that you will have to comply with to make your will valid. Complex and changing testamentary legislation can be difficult to understand and keep up with, thus making the entire will-writing process cumbersome and mentally straining. Under these circumstances, it is best to leave the task to someone who is well-versed with dynamics and complexities of the process. 

A lawyer that specialises in wills and estates planning will diligently guide you through the entire will preparation process so you can avoid costly mistakes that may render your will invalid when it is time for execution. 

To help decipher complex situations

The number of wills being challenged in the courts of law has been increasing in recent years, and mark you, this is not because of lack of valid wills. Family relations are not what they used to be in the past. These days, there are more blended families than before, meaning writing a DIY will can be harder than it used to be.  

An experienced lawyer can assess your situation and help you understand where you stand from a legal perspective. They will tell you who has a legal entitlement to a share of your property so you don't leave out anyone that deserves to benefit from your estate.

To ensure everything is covered

With the sheer number of detail that goes into writing a will, you may easily leave some important assets out of your will. A wills and estate lawyer will ensure all assets and cherished items that may be dealt with in your will are identified and included in the will. They will also inform you about assets and items that can't be included in the will. For example, co-owned property can't be included in your will.

While hiring a lawyer will cost you a fee, you can't ignore the important input that they bring to the table. Think of it as a small investment that will go a long way in protecting the interests of your loved ones when you're gone.