Imagine this: You die on a random Tuesday. Maybe it’s a car accident, maybe it’s a rogue blood clot, maybe you just eat the wrong gas station sushi. However it happens, the cause isn’t really the point. The point is that you’re gone, and the people you love are now left staring at each other going, “So… what do we do now?”
If you have a will, the answer is straightforward: read the will, follow the will, fight about it a little at Thanksgiving, done.
If you don’t have a will? Welcome to probate court, a bureaucratic hellscape where the government essentially decides what happens to everything you own — your apartment, your car, your embarrassing vinyl collection, your dog — based on laws written by people who didn’t know you existed. Your family gets to watch strangers make decisions about your life while paying thousands of dollars in legal fees for the privilege.
So yeah. You need a will.
So Do I Actually Need a Will?
Yes. Full stop. Next question.
Okay, fine, let’s get into it — because you’re going to make some excuse, and I’m going to dismantle it.
“Does everyone need a will?” is one of the most Googled questions in personal finance, right up there with “how much should I have saved by 30” (a lot, by the way, stop buying lattes). The answer is yes, everyone needs a will. Not just rich people. Not just old people. Not just people with kids or houses or complicated situations. Everyone.
A will is not a document for the wealthy. It’s a document for anyone who has opinions about what happens to their stuff, their people, or their body after they die. Do you have opinions about those things? Of course you do. Then you need a will.
“But I Have No Assets. Do I Need a Will If I Have Nothing?”
This is the most popular excuse, and it’s also the most wrong.
Here’s the thing: you almost certainly have something. Maybe it’s not a house or a stock portfolio. But do you have:
- A bank account with any money in it?
- A car?
- A phone, laptop, or gaming setup worth more than $200?
- A pet?
- Any sentimental items — jewelry, photos, your grandmother’s weird ceramic owl collection?
- Digital assets like crypto, a PayPal balance, or an online business?
If you said yes to even one of those, congratulations — you have assets. And without a will, you have zero say in where they go.
But let’s say you’re truly living in a van with nothing but a backpack. You still need a will for one reason: your body. A will is where you specify whether you want to be buried or cremated, whether your organs should be donated, and what kind of funeral (if any) you want. Without that document, your family makes those decisions — and families do not always agree. The last thing anyone needs after losing you is a screaming match about caskets.
“Do I need a will if I have no assets” is the wrong question. The right question is: do I have preferences? And you do. You just haven’t written them down.
“But I’m Young and Healthy. I Don’t Need to Think About This Yet.”
Sure. And the 22-year-old who died in that car accident last week was also young and healthy on Monday.
Look, nobody thinks they’re going to die young. That’s not pessimism, that’s just human psychology — we’re wired to assume we’ll be here tomorrow. But death doesn’t actually care about your age, your gym routine, or how many green smoothies you drink. It shows up when it shows up.
The good news: if you’re young, writing a will is easier, not harder. You probably don’t have a complicated estate. This takes maybe 20 minutes. The cost at Killswitch is $69. That’s less than your last DoorDash order.
What’s the alternative? You procrastinate until something happens, and then your family spends months — and thousands of dollars — untangling your affairs in court. Cool plan.
“What About My Specific Situation?”
Let me read your mind.
You’re married
You probably think your spouse automatically gets everything. Sometimes that’s true — but not always, and not in every state. If you have kids from a previous relationship, assets in your name only, or a business, your spouse could end up fighting in court for things you wanted them to have. A will makes it explicit and unambiguous.
You have kids
This one’s not optional. A will is how you name a guardian for your minor children — the person who will raise them if you’re gone. Without a will, a court picks that person. Maybe they pick well. Maybe they pick your estranged aunt who smells like cigarettes and has very strong opinions about screen time. Don’t gamble with your kids’ lives to avoid 20 minutes of paperwork.
You’re single
No spouse, no kids — you think you’re off the hook. You’re not. If you die without a will, your assets go to your closest living relatives based on your state’s intestacy laws. That might mean parents you’re estranged from, siblings you haven’t spoken to in years, or cousins you’ve literally never met. If you’d rather leave something to a friend, a partner, or a charity, you need a will to say so.
You’re renting
No house means no estate, right? Wrong. Everything else you own still counts — bank accounts, car, possessions, digital assets. And even renters need to specify what happens to their stuff, their pets, and their bodies. “Renting” is not a get-out-of-death-planning-free card.
What Actually Happens If You Don’t Have One
Here’s the short version: the state takes over. Your estate goes through probate — a public, slow, expensive court process where a judge distributes your assets according to generic laws rather than your actual wishes. Your family pays lawyers. Decisions take months. Relationships get strained.
We wrote a full breakdown of what happens if you die without a will — it’s worth five minutes of your time. Spoiler: it’s not good.
How to Actually Get a Will
You don’t need a lawyer. You don’t need to spend $1,000. You need about 20 minutes and $69 at Killswitch.
Killswitch lets you create a legally valid will online, on your own timeline, without the stuffiness of a law office or the sketchiness of a random PDF you found in a Reddit thread. If you want the full package — will, living will, power of attorney — the bundle is $99.
We also wrote a guide on how to make a will if you want to understand the process before you start.
It’s not a big deal to do. It’s a very big deal not to.
FAQ
Do I need a will if I’m young?
Yes. Death doesn’t check IDs. If you’re over 18, you can die, and without a will, you have no say in what happens next. Young people tend to have simple estates, which means making a will takes less time — not more.
Do I need a will if I have no assets?
Probably yes. “No assets” usually still means a bank account, a car, personal belongings, or at minimum a body that needs to be dealt with. A will covers all of it, including end-of-life wishes like burial vs. cremation and organ donation.
Does everyone need a will?
Yes. Married, single, rich, broke, young, old — everyone who has preferences about what happens after they die needs a will. That’s everyone.
What happens if I die without a will?
Your estate goes through probate, where a court distributes your assets according to state law — not your wishes. The process is slow, expensive, public, and often results in outcomes you’d hate. See our full breakdown here.
Does a will only cover money and property?
No. A will also covers who raises your kids (guardianship), what happens to your pets, and your final wishes around burial, cremation, and organ donation. It’s your last chance to have an opinion — don’t waste it.
How much does it cost to make a will?
At Killswitch, a will is $69. The bundle (will + living will + power of attorney) is $99. That’s it. No lawyer fees, no hourly billing, no surprise invoices.
Is an online will legally valid?
Yes, when done correctly. Killswitch creates state-compliant wills that meet the legal requirements for your state. The key is using a legitimate service rather than a free template you found somewhere sketchy.
Can I make a will without a lawyer?
Absolutely. Lawyers are helpful for complex estates, but most people don’t need one. Online will services like Killswitch walk you through everything and produce a legally valid document. You don’t need to pay $500/hour to answer basic questions about your own life.
Stop Procrastinating. Do the Thing.
You’ve read this far, which means you know you need a will. The only thing left is to actually do it.
It takes 20 minutes. It costs $69. It will save the people you love from months of stress, legal fees, and agonizing decisions made in grief.
Create your will at Killswitch — $69
You can afford it. You have the time. You’re just scared of thinking about death, which is extremely normal and also not a good enough reason to leave your family in chaos.
Write the will. Then go back to pretending you’re immortal. Deal?
