<p>What’s your experience? What are the pros and cons? What to look out for? Which software would you recommend? We live in New Jersey. Thanks.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://livingtrustnetwork.com/estate-planning-center/last-will-and-testament/requirements-for-a-will/new-jersey.html]Here[/url”>New Jersey's Requirements for a Will]Here[/url</a>] are the legal requirements for NJ. It’s really simple to do yourself unless - and this is the big if - you have something special to do. I’d bet any software can generate a perfectly good form.</p>
<p>The only thing that’s really important is that, unless the will is handwritten by you, it be witnessed by at least 2 people, ideally people without any interest in the will. I can’t tell you how many I witnessed over the years. The link I give shows you basic forms for making sure your will is legal.</p>
<p>In my experience, for a relatively simple estate, the main thing is to avoid basic mistakes, like naming your kids and leaving out one. It happens. That’s why wills usually say things like “to all my issue”. Another very basic mistake is not being clear about what happens if a child predeceases you. People usually want their money left to their kids or to the children of a kid who predeceases. Any form should contain the right language. In some cases, it’s important to say something like “all my issue lawfully recognized by me during my lifetime” to avoid the odd claimant, but again will forms cover that kind of thing. (This can come up in odd circumstances, like someone who has donated sperm.) </p>