Generally speaking, no one really wants to think about the day that they’ll die, but the truth is that sooner or later, your family is going to need you to think about it. After all, it’s really all about protecting them and making sure that they have more than what they need to survive if something were to happen to you.

If you’re like most people, you’ve already worked hard in life and gotten a few assets that take care of your family currently. Do you really want to look back and realize in horror that if you were to die right now, your government would have more say in who gets your assets than you would? A will can protect you and your heirs from this fate, but the truth that a lot of people don’t talk about is the fact that you could run into some complications.

Think back to all of the celebrity disputes that you hear about on the news. Could a strong will have spared those people those disputes in court? They are not only messy, but they tend to tear a family apart right at their most vulnerable time.

You might not believe it at first, but the truth is that hiring a lawyer is honestly the best way to make sure that you are protecting your asses at all costs. A good lawyer will be able to prepare your will in such a way that there is no doubt about who gets what from your estate.

However, there are a few things that go into a will, and you will need to make sure that you let your lawyer know about these things.

For instance, you will need to make sure that you appoint an executor. This is the person that is going to actually enforce the will. Naturally, this should be someone that you actually trust with the intimate details of your life — after all, you won’t be here to make sure that they do a good job. Don’t forget to list who should be the alternate executor just in case the original one doesn’t want to do the job, or can’t do the job.

You will need to set up a guardian for any young children that you have, as well as an alternate guardian. Don’t forget the power of attorney for property that you have, because you will need to have someone that can get your property sold or transferred to the right person (that you specify, of course).

Not all decisions about a will have to do with you being deceased. For example, you can assign in a will who you want to be able to make medical decisions on your behalf in case you’re no longer able to make those decisions. This is a lifesaver when there are conflicting views within a family — do you really want relatives that don’t believe in what you believe to make decisions about your medical care? If the answer is no, then you really need to make sure that a trusted person is listed here. It’s called a Power of Attorney for Personal Care in most cases. One of the decisions that immediately come to mind is the subject of life support and whether or not to keep someone on it. Another issue is when you fall into a coma — who gets to speak on your behalf when you’re not able to do so?

Overall, should you really hire a lawyer to prepare your will? If you really want to make sure that things are done properly, then the answer is definitely yes — why not get started today?