Will (law)

A will or testament is a legal document that explains the last wishes of someone after they die.^[1] It is sometimes called a "last will and testament".^[2]

A person writes a will and testament before they die, and usually writes what they want to happen to their estate (money and their things) after they die. A will may also provide for other issues including,

• Stating preferences for funeral arrangements,
• Designating a guardian for a minor child,
• Preventing will contests, and
• Making gifts to charities.^[1]

When a person passes away, the person's will may be probated, meaning that a probate court will authorize a representative to carry out the deceased person's wishes.^[3] Depending upon where probate occurs, the representative may be called a personal representative, executor or administrator.^[3]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Larson, Aaron. "Creating Your Last Will and Testament". ExpertLaw. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
2. ↑ Dukeminier, Jesse; Sitkoff, Robert H. (2013). Wills, Trusts, and Estates (9 ed.). Aspen Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4548-2457-2.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "How the probate system works". New York Life. New York Life Insurance Co. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.