At What Age Should You Make a Will?

It’s always tough to talk about documents that will remain after you pass away. Drafting a will is always important, of course, but it’s something that most avoid as long as possible. It is, however, always a good idea to think about when you need to finally get around to drafting such a document. Below are just a few of the ages at which you might want to think about drafting a will.

After 18

The most obvious time to draft a will is going to come after you turn eighteen. Minors don’t have wills, after all, and trying to draft one too early is going to be difficult. While you can certainly create some kind of unofficial document, the court is almost always going to side with the parents in cases where minors pass away.

When You Own Property

Regardless of your age, you’ll want to make sure that you have a will in place as soon as you are a property-owning adult. Once you have any kind of property that would need to be passed to another person, having a will becomes the best way to ensure that it goes where you need it to go. Whether you’re nineteen or ninety, having a will is a must if you care about where your property goes.

When You Have Children

This is another milestone that will make a difference for when you draft a will. There is a huge difference between passing away without a will at twenty without children and at twenty with children, as those in the latter group will need to ensure that they create some kind of plan as to what will happen with child custody and inheritance when they are gone. It doesn’t matter how old you are — you need to have a will if you have children.

When You Can Talk to an Attorney

Finally, it’s good to think of the perfect age for drafting a will as the age at which you can afford to talk to a will attorney. Once you’ve reached this point, you likely have enough assets to think about your future and what kind of legacy you want to leave. This can be done as early as you late teens as or as late as possible, but it’s always a good idea.

Don’t attach a specific age to drafting a will. Instead, look at your life experiences. If you care about what happens to your family and property after you pass, you need to get a will in place.