Over 25 years ago, I sat for the three-day South Carolina bar exam, after years of law school. Both were among the hardest things I've ever done. Through my parents' prayers and my own sheer will, I made it through — and made a way to become your Personal Family Lawyer.

So this month, as we recognize National Make a Will Month, I want to share a truth that surprises a lot of people:

A will does not avoid probate. Only a trust does.

Both statements are true — where there's a will, there's a way to protect your family's future. But where there's a will (the document), there's also probate.

Probate is the official court process that validates a will, pays off remaining debts, and distributes property to your loved ones. It's document-intensive, it's public record, and it typically takes about a year.

How Probate Works:

• With a will: The court verifies the will, names a personal representative, and ensures property goes to the people you named.
• Without a will: The court follows state law to name a representative and distribute property to family members, according to the state's rules — not yours.
• Paying debts: The personal representative uses estate funds to pay final bills and taxes before anyone receives their inheritance.
• Here's the part people miss: paying for a will now still means your family pays the cost of probate later. A trust, on the other hand, helps offset those legal costs after your death — and keeps the process private and out of court.

Where there's a will, there's a way to protect what matters.

Want to make a will this month?

Want to make a trust and avoid probate altogether?

August Is National Make-a-Will Month. There's a Reason for That.

Every August, the legal community sets aside an entire month to remind families of something important: most people don't have a will. And the ones who don't are leaving the people they love most unprotected.

Maybe you've thought about it. Maybe you've even said, "I need to do that." But somehow, it never makes it to the top of the list.

If something happened to you today, would your family be okay? Would the right people have legal authority to step in for your kids? Would your wishes be clear, or would your family be left trying to figure things out during one of the hardest moments of their lives?

Most families assume everything will just work out. That assumption causes families to lose.