You own property, money, or other assets
You have children or dependents
You are married, divorced, or in a long-term partnership
You want to choose who inherits your assets
You want to name a guardian for minor children
You want to decide who handles your estate
You have specific wishes for funeral or burial arrangements
You want to reduce the chance of family disputes
You have a business or business interests
You have debts, investments, or retirement accounts
You want to leave gifts to friends, relatives, or charities
You want to protect a child with special needs
You want to control what happens to digital assets
You live in a state or country with inheritance laws you do not want to rely on
You want peace of mind that your wishes are documented