August is National Make-a-Will Month, and though we know it’s likely not the first month you’d think to mark on your calendar, it is a good time to ask yourself a question you may have been putting off:
If something happened to you tomorrow, would the people you love have clarity and stability, or would they be searching through old emails and desk drawers, trying to piece together what you would have wanted? For most people, the answer is closer to the latter, even though almost everyone agrees that having a plan in place for life’s toughest moments matters.
If you've thought about this and still haven't started estate planning, you're in good company. The intent is almost always there. Most people want their family taken care of and protected. Most want to ensure their loved ones have room to grieve and aren't stuck on hold with banks and insurance companies for weeks. What gets in the way is the weight of the task itself: sitting in the discomfort of death and loss, the legal jargon and confusing paperwork, and the sheer number of deeply personal decisions that can make even the most caring, capable person feel stuck and unsure of where to even begin.
Why it can feel so difficult to get started
Recent research from Empathy sums up this tension: nearly 60% of U.S. families expect wealth to change hands within their family unit — think inheritances or trusts — within the next decade, with average timelines at just seven years, yet only 28% expect those wealth transfers to go smoothly. Many family members anticipate delays, conflict, and confusion; the plans that do exist are often incomplete, outdated, or known only to a single family member who may not be there when needed.
These reasons usually mean the task has felt too big to face all at once, not that family members don't care. The work itself is actually much simpler, and much warmer, than you may think.
One of the best ways to care for the people you love
Most people hear phrases like "get your affairs in order" or "create an estate plan" and picture a lawyer's office, a folder three inches thick, a form asking you to divide your assets down to the percentage, on the spot. But at its heart, this is really one of the best ways to take care of the people you love most: a partner, your kids, a sibling, a friend who's family in every way that counts. When a plan is in place, your family is granted space: to grieve, to connect, and to lean on each other during the hardest week of their lives. They will feel taken care of, thought of, held even in your absence. And for you, there's a quiet peace of mind in knowing you've already given them that gift today
Start with one small thing
Estate planning too often gets lumped in with the projects you tell yourself you'll get to “when things calm down.” It can feel like every detail needs to be ironed out at once: how your assets should be divided, who should carry out your wishes, anticipating every possible "what if” scenario. In reality, a few honest answers can turn a big, overwhelming task into a series of small, manageable decisions. Start by answering one question:
If you weren't able to make a decision tomorrow, who would you trust to make it for you?
Is there something you own, big or small, that you already know exactly who you'd want to have it?
Is there a wish or instruction you'd want followed exactly, even if no one ever asked?
Breaking the process into smaller steps means you don't have to wait for the perfect moment to begin. Even one small decision can create momentum and make the path ahead feel clearer.
You don't have to do this alone
Once you're ready to put those answers into an actual plan, you don't have to figure out the logistics alone. Empathy LifeVault™ walks you through creating a legally valid will, trust, and power of attorney, one guided step at a time. It gives you space for Legacy Letters, so the more personal pieces — your values, your stories, what you want remembered — can be written in your own words. And when a conversation with family feels difficult to start, LifeVault Conversations gives you a private place to think it through before you have to say anything out loud. Everything you create stays organized and secure in one place, so when your family needs it, they'll know exactly where to look.
You've already done the hardest part: deciding this matters. We're here for everything that comes after.