Some benefits include distributing your assets based on your wishes, avoiding conflict among heirs after your death, naming a guardian for minor children, making financial provisions for heirs, naming someone to handle your financial affairs in the event you become incapacitated, reducing delays in settling your estate, reducing the costs of administering your estate, ensuring the continuation of a family business, and planning your funeral arrangements.

Admittedly, most people would prefer not to think about their death. Others may not wish to address certain issues with a spouse. For instance, you may not agree on who should be named guardian of your minor children or which assets should be left to which heirs. If you are in a second marriage, distributing assets among children from both marriages may cause disagreements.

But if you care for your family and want to ensure they will be adequately provided for after your death, you need to get past these hurdles and plan your estate. The planning process will force you to organize your financial records and to make difficult decisions, like who should receive which assets and whether additional life insurance is needed.

Perhaps the last memory your family will have of you is how easy or difficult you made it for them to handle your estate. Leaving a well-organized estate with all your wishes easily laid out, as well as enough resources for your family to continue their present lifestyle, will show your family just how much you cared about them.

To obtain do-it-yourself Legal Documents such as Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives and more, go to ManagingMoney.com's Legal Center. You can also obtain do-it-yourself Legal Documents for your business needs as well.