Make a list of everything you own, including money, personal items, real property, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. Not all these items will pass through your will. For example, life insurance policies and retirement accounts with proper beneficiary designations will not pass through a will. Items you own jointly with another person at the time of your death will not go through probate.

When deciding how to give your property away, you can use a separate list of personal property that you can update from time to time. The list cannot include real estate or money. To use a list of property, your will must refer to a written statement or list that disposes of tangible items of personal property. The list must either be in your handwriting or be signed by you. It also must describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty.

You can create the list before or after you execute your will. This allows you to change who will receive specific items of personal property without needing to revise your will.

You can provide property, money, or other assets to loved ones or entities like charities and schools. You can use a will to give something sentimental to a friend or to give money as a thank you to someone who cared for you. If you want to name a charity as a devisee, contact the charity to see what types of gifts it can accept.

Being a personal representative is an important and time-consuming role. Your personal representative must be an adult and should be willing to serve. Choose someone who is trustworthy and responsible with money. You also should select one or two successors to serve if your first choice is unable.

A personal representative will manage your estate during probate. Their duties will include:

• Identifying, collecting, and protecting your assets
• Notifying your creditors
• Using your estate’s assets to pay your estate’s expenses and taxes
• Distributing your assets to your devisees as instructed by your will

Your personal representative also can use your estate’s assets to hire attorneys, accountants, and other professionals to help with probate.

Many people decide to make a will when they have children because they are concerned about who will care for their children. If you have minor children, a guardian will raise your children if both you and the children’s other parent die. When naming a guardian in your will, you also should name successor guardians in case your first choice cannot serve.

When naming a guardian, consider the following questions:

• Are they willing to raise your children?
• Will they have the time and energy to raise them?
• Are they financially secure?
• Do they have a good relationship with your children?
• Will your children have to move far away to live with them?

In Arizona, your will must be in writing, and you must sign it or direct another person to sign it in your name while they are in your presence. At least two adults must sign as witnesses within a reasonable time after witnessing you sign the will or acknowledge that the signature or will is yours.

Your witnesses cannot be a devisee or a devisee’s relative unless you create a self-proving will. Even if you use a self-proved will, you should avoid using a devisee as a witness to prevent later claims of undue influence.

A self-proved will allows a court to accept the will as validly signed without needing to track down your witnesses to testify about the signing. To make a self-proved will, you and your witnesses must sign an affidavit attached to the will and have your signatures notarized by a notary public.

After your will is signed, store it in a safe place. Make sure your personal representative and other trusted people know where it is. Common places to store a will include:

• A safe place in your home
• A safety deposit box
• A law firm

If you use a safe deposit box at a bank, make sure your personal representative and other designated people will be able to access it after you die. If you ask a law firm to store your will, ask your attorney what the firm’s plans are for storing your will if the firm goes out of business.

Review your will when you have children or grandchildren or when you marry or divorce. You also should review it if you have a significant change in your net worth. Even if your family members or financial situation doesn’t change, it can be helpful to review your last will and testament every few years to make sure it still meets your goals. You also can ask an attorney licensed in Arizona to review your will in case laws have changed.