Do-It-Yourself Wills

About two thirds of physicians don'thave a will, which means their estate willprobably be divided up by the courts accordingto legal guidelines rather thanaccording to their wishes. If you don'thave a will and the thought of shellingout $500 to have a lawyer draw one up iswhat's holding you back, you can do ityourself on the cheap. At Nolo.com (800-728-3555), for example, you can getNolo's Simple Will Book ($37) or downloadQuicken Willmaker Plus ($39.95).However, you may need a lawyer if yourestate will be more than $1 million, if youhave an heir with special needs, or if youthink your will may be contested. A livingwill, also known as an advance directive,is even cheaper. It could cost you up to$125 if a lawyer does it, but you can doit free. Go to the Partnership for CaringWeb site (www.partnershipforcaring.org)for downloadable living will forms.