National Make a Will Month: Help Someone You Love Start Their Estate Plan
For many of us, friends are more than friends. They’re chosen family.
They’re the people who show up when life gets difficult, celebrate the good moments with us, know our stories, and would be among the first people we’d call in an emergency.
Looking out for those people sometimes means bringing up conversations they’ve been putting off.
Estate planning is one of them.
According to Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study, only 24% of Americans reported having a will. That means someone you care about may be living without even the most basic estate planning document.
August is National Make a Will Month, making it a natural time to ask an important question:
Do the people you love have a plan for the people they love?
You don’t need to lecture them or convince them to hire an attorney. Sometimes, one thoughtful conversation is enough to help someone finally take the first step.
Why So Many People Put Off Estate Planning
Most people don’t avoid estate planning because they don’t care about their families.
Usually, the opposite is true.
They may put it off because they:
Think estate planning is only for wealthy families
Assume they have plenty of time
Feel uncomfortable talking about death or incapacity
Don’t know where to begin
Haven’t found an attorney they feel comfortable talking to
Estate planning asks deeply personal questions.
Who should make decisions for you if you can’t?
Who should raise your children?
Who should receive what you’ve worked to build?
What would you want your family to know when you’re no longer there to tell them?
Those aren’t simply legal questions. They’re family questions.
And sometimes hearing from someone you trust that planning was easier, more meaningful, or less intimidating than expected is what finally makes taking action feel possible.
What Families Can Face Without a Plan
Imagine losing someone you love and then realizing you don’t know where anything is.
Was there life insurance?
Where are the retirement accounts?
Who has authority to handle the finances?
What bills need to be paid?
What did they want?
These questions can become especially difficult when a family is already grieving.
Without adequate planning, loved ones may need to navigate court procedures, locate accounts, determine who has legal authority, and make important decisions without clear guidance.
If minor children are involved, guardianship questions become even more important.
And estate planning isn’t only about death.
If someone becomes incapacitated because of an accident, stroke, or illness, their family may need appropriate powers of attorney and healthcare documents to make financial or medical decisions on their behalf.
A thoughtful estate plan can provide answers before those questions become urgent.
How to Start the Conversation Without Making It Awkward
You don’t need the perfect words.
The best conversations often begin naturally.
Use a life event. A marriage, new baby, home purchase, divorce, retirement, or death in the family can create a natural opening. You might simply ask, “Have you guys updated your estate planning since that happened?”
Share your own experience. If you’ve completed your planning, talk about what surprised you. “We finally finished our estate plan, and I feel so much better knowing everything is organized.”
Talk about a story you read. A news story or article about a family dealing with an estate problem can open the conversation without making it feel personal.
Ask a practical question. Instead of asking, “Do you have an estate plan?” try: “If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know what to do?”
Use National Make a Will Month. August gives you an easy reason to mention it: “I saw that August is National Make a Will Month. Have you ever gotten around to doing yours?”
You’re not trying to pressure someone into planning.
You’re simply opening a door.
A Will Is Important, But It’s Only the Beginning
National Make a Will Month puts the spotlight on wills, and having a will is an important step.
But comprehensive estate planning goes much further.
A complete plan may also address:
Who can make financial decisions if you become incapacitated
Who can make healthcare decisions for you
Who would care for minor children
How children would receive an inheritance
Whether beneficiary designations are current
How loved ones will locate your assets
Whether trusts are appropriate for your circumstances
How your plan will stay current as your life changes
At Starsia Law, this is why we focus on Life & Legacy Planning® rather than simply preparing documents.
The goal isn’t to check “make a will” off a to-do list.
The goal is to make life as easy as possible for the people you love when they need your planning most.
Referring Someone You Love Can Be an Act of Care
When our clients refer friends or relatives to us, they’re doing more than sharing the name of a law firm.
Often, they’re sharing something they found valuable themselves: the peace of mind that comes from knowing their family has a plan.
Through our Life & Legacy Planning® process, we help families understand what would actually happen if they became incapacitated or died today.
Depending on the family, that can include creating or updating:
Wills and trusts
Powers of attorney
Healthcare directives
Beneficiary designations
Asset inventories
Kids Protection Plans® for parents of minor children
Just as importantly, we build an ongoing relationship with our clients so their plans can evolve as their lives change.
And when something eventually happens, their loved ones have a team they already know they can call.
Pass It On This August
Looking out for your friends sometimes means having conversations that matter.
Estate planning may not be the usual dinner-table topic, but bringing it up can be a meaningful way to care for someone and the family they love.
You don’t have to convince them.
You don’t need to explain trusts, probate, or powers of attorney.
You can simply say:
“I finally took care of our estate planning, and I thought of you. Have you done yours?”
Then let the conversation go from there.
How We Can Help
At Starsia Law, we help families create Life & Legacy Plans® designed around their lives, their assets, their values, and the people they love.
We don’t simply prepare a set of documents and send you on your way. We help you understand your options, get financially organized, make informed decisions, and create a plan designed to work when your loved ones actually need it.
And because life changes, our relationship doesn’t end when your documents are signed. We continue helping you keep your plan current over time.
August is National Make a Will Month. If this article made you think of someone you care about, send it their way. And if that someone is you, this is a great month to finally get started.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to learn how our team can help you protect the people you love.
This article is a service of Starsia Law, a Personal Family Lawyer® Firm. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life & Legacy Planning Session™, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love.
The content is sourced from Personal Family Lawyer® for use by Personal Family Lawyer® firms, a source believed to be providing accurate information. This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal, or investment advice. If you are seeking legal advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.