🚧 Draft — not final. A generic, shareable version of this project's approach, published because it may help others. Give it a human edit before relying on it — and see the note at the bottom.

Making a will — a starter guide

Most people put off making a will because it feels morbid and complicated. It's neither, and the alternative is worse: dying intestate means the law — not you — decides who gets what, often slowly and expensively, while your family untangles it during grief. This is a plain starting frame. (Your actual will and asset details stay private — this is only the method.)

What a will actually needs

An executor — the person who carries out the will. Pick someone capable and willing; name a backup.
Beneficiaries — who receives what, described clearly enough to avoid disputes.
Guardianship — if there are minor children, who raises them. This is often the single most important clause for young families.
A residuary clause — who gets "everything else" not specifically named, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Valid execution — the legal formalities (in India, generally signed by you and attested by two witnesses who aren't beneficiaries). An unsigned draft is worthless.

Decisions to make before you draft

Rough inventory of assets — property, accounts, investments, insurance, valuables.
Any specific gifts vs. proportional splits.
Whether the estate is simple enough for a straightforward will, or complex enough to warrant a lawyer (property in multiple names, businesses, or beneficiaries with special needs usually mean: get advice).

Where it lives (the step everyone forgets)

A perfect will nobody can find helps no one. Record — for the executor — where the signed original is, plus a list of key accounts, insurance policies, and the lawyer's contact. Keep that pointer somewhere trusted and updated.

When to revisit

On any big life change: a birth, a marriage or divorce, a major asset, or a death among those named.