Dad tip #20: Wills are morbid, necessary, and not nearly as much work as you think they are

In case you haven't gotten it done yet, you should get a will. Yes, it's morbid, but it's also incredibly necessary. And it doesn't have to be some crazy thing with all kinds of blood-sucking lawyers involved and whatnot.

According to the title of a LegalZoom press release:

"Three out of Four Parents Have Not Prepared a Last Will, Leaving Children Unprotected"

Yes, that title sounds like it was written by an all-star writing team from Fox News, but at least it's a valid concern with a distinct point -- unlike Fox News teasers that lead off with things like "Something you use occasionally or everyday, inside or outside of your house may or may not be killing you slowly. Find out what it is ... NEXT on Fox News at 10:00!"

But I digress. One option you may want to consider for your will is LegalZoom. (Yes, the people from the press release I just mentioned.) You can run through a wizard-like questionaire that will generate a will for you for somewhere between $69-119, depending on the bells and whistles you want (ie. unlimited revisions for five years, secure electronic storage, etc.). I researched it, tried it, and liked it.

That said, if your estate is particularly large or complex and your wife keeps offering you Gatorade and you've noticed that there are a bunch of empty canisters of anti-freeze in the garage, you may want to consider going to a human attorney who might be able to help you deal with unforeseen "gotchas" better than something like LegalZoom.

Seriously though, go do your own research about what the right fit is for you. Regardless of what solution you choose, a will is a good idea.

Also seriously, that image of Nosferatu above, reminded me of the time we played Charades and my friend Missie managed to get two people (who had absolutely no idea what the heck Nosferatu was -- including my wife) to guess "Nose-four-bite-you". Sooooo close!

Seriously.