Make a list of everything you own, including money, real estate, personal property, life insurance policies, and retirement accounts. Determine how your personal representative will distribute these items after you die.

A will is not the only way to give your assets to others. Other methods include:

• A gift during your lifetime
• Putting assets in a trust for another person’s benefit
• Listing a person as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement account
• Using a payable on death financial account

If an item is owned solely by you, it will pass through probate as instructed by your will or the intestate succession laws.

Your beneficiaries can be people or organizations like schools or charities. In a will, you can give small gifts to one beneficiary and large gifts to another. A will is a good tool for giving sentimental items to friends or family.

You also can prevent someone from receiving any of your assets by disinheriting them in your will. However, if you want to disinherit a spouse or child, you should ask an estate planning attorney for advice.

Being a personal representative is an important role with significant responsibility. You should select someone trustworthy, responsible, and comfortable dealing with legal and financial professionals. You also should name one or more successor personal representatives to serve if your first choice is unable to serve.

You should let your personal representative know that you want them to serve and let them know what their responsibilities will be. Some of the personal representative’s responsibilities are:

• Presenting your will to the register of wills for probate
• Identifying and securing your probate assets
• Notifying everyone who has an interest in your estate about the probate process
• Notifying creditors
• Paying bills for your estate
• Filing tax returns and paying taxes for your estate
• Distributing your assets to beneficiaries

Your personal representative will use your estate’s funds to pay taxes and bills for the estates. They also can use estate funds to pay attorneys and accountants to help them with the probate process and filing taxes.

In Pennsylvania, your will can name a guardian of the person and a guardian of the estate for a child. Your child’s guardian of the person will raise them and make decisions about their education, health, and welfare. The guardian of the estate will manage all your child’s assets, except for assets held in a trust for your child. These two guardians do not have to be the same person, and it is sometimes wise to choose different people for each role.

A guardian of the person should want the responsibility of caring for your child, and you should trust that they will treat your child well and raise your child according to your values. A guardian of the estate should be trustworthy and have good financial sense.

If you have minor children, consider creating a revocable living trust in addition to a will. A trust lets you control when and how your children receive your assets. In your trust, you will name a trustee who will manage your children’s assets.

Many states require two witnesses to sign a will, but Pennsylvania only requires the testator to sign at the end of the document. If the testator cannot sign the will, they can mark the end of the document or direct another person to sign the will for them. If a testator uses a mark or someone else signs for the testator, two witnesses must be present and sign the will.

Even though witnesses are not required to sign your will, you should always use two witnesses and have them sign an affidavit under oath before a notary public. You also should sign an acknowledgment before a notary public. If you take these additional steps, you will have a self-proved will. The register of wills will accept a self-proved will for probate without further need for witness testimony about the validity of your signature.

Finally, avoid using witnesses who are beneficiaries of your will. If someone is a witness and a beneficiary, other beneficiaries or people left out of your will might claim undue influence or impropriety. This could lead to a challenge in court, delayed probate, and stress for your loved ones.

It is important to keep your executed will in a safe place because it can be difficult to probate a copy of a will. If you use an attorney, you can ask if their firm stores original wills, but you should make sure they have a plan to store your will if the firm goes out of business. You also can keep a will in a safe place in your home or a safe deposit box at a bank. If you choose a safe deposit box, make sure your bank will allow your personal representative or family members to access it.

You should let your personal representative know where your will is stored and how to access it. You also can let a few trusted friends or family members know its location in case your personal representative is unavailable when you die.

If you marry, divorce, have a child, or accrue considerable assets, you should review your will because you likely will need a new one. Even without a major life change, you should review it every few years to ensure it still expresses your wishes. You also can ask a Pennsylvania estate planning attorney to review your will.