This book (6th edition) has taken a BIG weight off of my mind regarding writing a will. My husband and I currently don't have a will (and apparently have lots of company - reportedly 60% of Americans don't have wills), but I am in the process of changing that with the reassuring help of this book.

Yes, you CAN write your own legal will, and it truly isn't difficult. As this book points out, even lawyers use standard forms for wills which they customize to their clients. The NOLO CD that accompanies this book also contains standard forms which you can modify, and it walks you through the different parts of a will and the various decisions you need to make. It also flags decisions/areas that you need to give particularly careful consideration. And it flags more complications situations that might or do require a lawyer (such as, wanting to give more than 50% of your estate to someone other than your spouse).

I will say that our situation isn't complicated, our "estate" basically consists of our home and some savings/investment accounts, and we have young children to provide for. I feel very confident that a will written using this book/CD will be completely legal and appropriate.

But I think this book would be quite valuable even to people planning to use a lawyer for more complicated estate planning needs, as it explains wills and their components in clear, concise terms.

I bought this book mostly because I wanted my daughter in the right hands if something were to happen to both my husband and I. Peace of mind knowing that she will indeed end up with the people we select is worth a million and we didn't to have to spend much money to set this up. This book is great to have your wishes put down so everything is distributed how you want it. Much more convenient then going to a lawyer and saves you a lot of money.