 TITLE: How Do Online Wills Work? CONTENT: Additional Elements of an Estate Plan\n-------------------------------------\nCreating a will is just one part of a comprehensive estate plan. When someone dies, a special court validates the person's will during a process called probate. The court also authorizes someone to distribute their estate to their requested beneficiaries. Having a will in place ensures your wishes will be granted, but does not help you avoid the probate process, which can be timely and expensive. Creating a living trust in addition to a will is one way to avoid probate and simplify the distribution of your estate to your heirs. Even if you don't have a lot of assets, a trust can still be helpful. And unlike a will, which is a public document, a living trust is private.\nA solid estate plan considers durable powers of attorney, as well. These are trusted people you appoint to make crucial decisions for you in the event that you become incapacitated or unable to do so yourself. There are two types of powers of attorney—one to oversee your finances and another to manage responsibilities related to your medical care. END