Your will is a critical document that ensures that what you've worked for in your lifetime goes to the people who you think will benefit most. Writing a will has many parts, and you'll want to ensure that it can be executed smoothly when the time comes. Here are some steps to take to guarantee that your will is followed to the letter:

Use Legal Advice to Estimate Assets

For one, it helps if your will is legal and realistic. For example, you will need to estimate your finances accurately to ensure that the gifts you leave to people are actually possible. You will have to calculate the repayment for debts, the taxes involved, and how to split your business assets with many other parties involved in their share of the assets. An estate planning attorney is the perfect consultant to help you plan for all of the financial and legal aspects of writing your will.

Have a Guarantor

The guarantor is the person who will help to execute your will. It should be a person who you trust, who is legally and financially savvy, and who will most likely be around to enact your will once you've passed away. It could be a family member or friend who has these skills. But a family law attorney or law firm could also enact this role, and this is a good thing because they can keep a safe copy of your will until the time is right.

Be Explicit

The wording of your will must be careful to avoid confusion. You will want to ensure that it's made explicit when you decide to leave people out of the will or split assets in an unusual way, and that you list reasons for your decision. Otherwise, the guarantor might think that you meant something else and split the assets against what you said.

Talk with Relatives

Whenever possible, it's a good idea to tell each beneficiary what they will be receiving from your will. This allows for less confusion, as all parties involved know what to expect. It creates less room for people to contest the will, since multiple people have their own accounts of what's mentioned in the will.

In short, communication is the key to creating a will that's executed smoothly. From having a cooperative family, to finding a family law attorney, the process works well when you communicate with those involved to make sure that everything is clear and feasible. Have other questions? Contact a company like Baudler, Maus, Forman, Kritzer & Wagner, LLP for answers to your concerns.