Liz Weston: When a will won’t work

By LIZ WESTON of NerdWallet

A will determines who gets your stuff after you die. But a will won’t take care of all of your final wishes. A will can’t do everything — it can’t avoid sending your estate into probate. A will also shouldn’t do everything — it shouldn’t be used as a technique to force conditions on the people you leave behind. And a will won’t accomplish everything you might want to do — it’s not the proper method for disinheriting a spouse, for example. Here’s what else to know about writing your will.