them without going through probate. You title everything to the trust, such as your house, car, investment accounts, and so on. They typically cost a great deal more than a simple will, which is probably all you need.
The most important thing to know is that each and every state has different laws and rules about wills and trusts, so you want to find out what the are in your state. You can probably do a simple Google search for wills and the name of your state. A simple will shouldn't cost very much, but you'd want to contact a couple of attorneys who handle them and found out what they charge.
A trust typically has fairly extensive language intended to cover every possible financial contingency. Again, this is something that people with lots of money and assets need. Not ordinary people.
You can start by making a simple list of what you own, and figuring out who you might want to leave it to. If you own a home, which is most people's largest asset, figure that out. Leave it to your brother? Direct the executors to sell it and give the money to your favorite charity? You get the idea here.
With or without a will, you might want to have a P.O.D. (Pay On Death) on your checking and savings accounts. That person can pretty much immediately gain access to those accounts as soon as they can let the bank or credit union know you've died. Meanwhile, they cannot lay their hands on those things while you are still alive.
Think long and hard about who you want to be the executor of your estate, such as it is. That needs to be someone you can trust to do the right thing.
Pretty much everyone should have a will, and too many people don't understand that. If you die without one, intestate is the legal term, the laws of your state determines where your assets go. And that may not be at all what you'd like.
I've seen people here, when this subject comes up say, "I don't need a will! Why do I care? I'll be dead anyway." Everyone who thinks that way should have the pleasure of handling things when someone dies. Even when the person has a will and everything is straightforward, it can take a shockingly long time to settle things.
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