When is a Will Worth $1,000? Before You Die

Depending on where you live, setting up a will can cost $200 to $1,000 for an hour or two of an attorney's time. Is it money well spent? It is if you want peace of mind that your estate will go where you want it to go.

You don't have to be a celebrity with millions in assets to pass along to your heirs to need a will. Without a will or a trust, the fate of your finances could end up being decided in a courtroom and may not be dispersed in the way you had planned, according to Danielle Mayoras, co-author with her husband, Andrew Mayoras, of the book Trial & Heirs.