A last will and testament is a critical legal document that every adult should create. It can relieve the anxiety of grieving family members to know that they are carrying out a loved one's final wishes as he or she would have wanted. The cost of creating a will is usually minimal unless the assets owned are substantial. In that case, it makes sense to invest in the services of a competent estate planner to help prepare a will.

A will can always be altered later if the provisions need to be changed. This might happen in the event of a divorce, or if one of the persons named as a beneficiary in the will dies. Updating a will may also be necessary if there is a substantial change in a person's assets such as the purchase of additional properties. When a new will and testament is created, the old will should be destroyed. This way there is no question as to which version is valid.