Estate planning is often viewed as something to deal with “later”—after retirement, after kids are older, after the next PCS, after deployment, after life slows down. But, as anyone with military experience knows, life rarely slows down on its own. Uncertainty is part of the job description, and readiness isn’t just about gear or training. It’s also about preparing your family and finances.
A well-crafted Will is one of the most important legal documents a military or veteran family can have. It protects your loved ones, ensures your wishes are honored, and prevents confusion or conflict when you’re no longer here to speak for yourself. It’s not just a “legal form”—it’s a plan. A plan that preserves your assets, your values, and your family’s stability. In-fact, wills are so important they are one of the few documents that your command will make you prepare before deploying.
In this blog post, we break down why a Will matters so much, especially for those who serve or have served, and what should be included in a Will.
Why a Will Is Essential for Military & Veteran Families
1. The Military & Veteran Lifestyles Create Unique Risks
Military members face hazards and unpredictability that most civilians do not: deployments, high-risk training environments, combat duty, and frequent travel. Even for non-combat roles, the nature of military service heightens the need for clear, legally binding instructions. Even after our uniformed service is over, life as a veteran comes with a culture of taking risks and sometimes health conditions that plague us for the rest of our lives.
When I reflect on my time in service and the years since, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt I have lost more friends due to accidents, health issues and even suicide than the typical American. I can also tell you that those I have lost since service far outnumber those I lost during service. Just because our days in uniform come to an end doesn't mean the lifestyle does too.
That said, a Will is not pessimistic. It’s preparation. It is not a coincidence completing or updating your will is on a deployment checklist. If you don't want to do it for yourself, consider getting it done for your loves ones.
2. Avoids Intestacy (State-Controlled Distribution)
If you pass away without a Will, you die “intestate.” That means state law—not your spouse, not your parents, not your wishes—determines:
Who gets your belongings
Who manages the process
Who raises your children
How your property is divided
The default rules might be very different from what you would have chosen and they can vary greatly from state to state. Even if you think you know what the law would conclude about how to handle your estate, that could all change with a single PCS. There are two main systems of estate law, plus Louisiana. The rules can vary greatly between states within those systems much less between those systems.
A Will keeps control in your hands.
3. Protects Spouses and Children
Military and veteran families often experience long separations, long work hours, and unique caregiving situations. A Will ensures:
Your spouse or partner is protected
Your minor children are cared for
Someone you trust is appointed to manage assets
Benefits like SGLI, TSP, and military death benefits align with your overall plan
A Will is the foundation of family stability during the worst moments. Don't leave their stability up to chance.
4. Simplifies the Process for Loved Ones
Grief is hard enough. A Will helps your family avoid:
Delays
Court disputes
Unnecessary costs
Confusion about your wishes
A good estate plan gives them clarity instead of chaos. Simple estates that are intestate can take 3 to 6 months to resolve, but more complex estates may take over a year to get resolved. Do you think your family wants to deal with months of headaches on top of the grief of losing a loved one?
5. Coordinates With Military & Veteran Benefits and Documents
Service members often have multiple important documents:
SGLV 8286 (SGLI beneficiary designation)
DD93 (Record of Emergency Data)
TSP beneficiary elections
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) elections
Life insurance policies
Housing/rental agreements across states
A Will ties these elements together. Without coordination, families can face conflicting instructions, which can lead to delays, litigation, or assets going to the wrong people. Understanding how these pieces fit together can make all the difference.
What Should Be In a Strong Will?
A Will doesn’t need to be complicated, but it must be complete. Below are the core components every service member, veteran, and military family should include in their will.
1. Personal Representative (Executor)
This is the person responsible for carrying out your instructions.
Choose someone who is:
Trustworthy
Organized
Financially responsible
Willing and able to serve
Many veterans choose a spouse or parent, but you may name a backup (alternate) in case they are unavailable. It is common to have a sibling, cousin or child listed as an executor too. If your family is large or blended then you may want to consider not just who you trust with this responsibility but who has the personality characteristics to navigate your family and that responsibility well.
2. Guardianship for Minor Children
This is one of the most important—and often the most emotional—decisions.
Your Will should specify:
Primary guardian: the person(s) you want to raise your children.
Backup guardian: in case your first choice cannot serve.
Instructions or preferences: values, education, faith, location, or extended family considerations.
Make sure you have a conversation with who you want to take on that role should you pass away. Nobody wants to be surprised with being responsible for your child, even if they love them.
If you don't designate a guardian, the court will choose someone for you. They may pick someone you may never would have chosen yourself.
3. A Plan for Your Property
Your Will should clearly state who receives:
Bank accounts
Investments
Vehicles
Household goods
Family heirlooms
Real estate
Sentimental items
A Will prevents conflict and ensures assets don’t end up distributed by “who asks first” after your passing. However, you should be careful to ensure that your Will does not conflict with your beneficiary designations on your financial accounts. Any inconsistencies can cause problems and delays that are most unwelcome.
4. A Trust for Minor Children (Very Important!)
If your children inherit money, they cannot legally manage it. Without a trust, the court may:
Appoint a guardian you wouldn't have chosen
Lock the funds until the child turns 18
Release all the money at once at age 18
A better strategy is creating a testamentary trust, a trust built into your Will.
You can specify:
The trustee (who manages the money)
When the child receives funds (common choices: 25, 30, 35)
What the funds may be used for: education, healthcare, housing, transportation, etc.
This protects your children from financial harm, predators, or immature decisions. Trusts can be complicated and you should look to a qualified estate attorney for guidance whenever you want to create a trust. However, be warned that estate attorneys can be quite expensive.
5. Specific Bequests
If you want certain items to go to certain people—medals, uniforms, firearms, jewelry, family heirlooms, vehicles—your Will should spell this out.
Without clarity, these items can become major sources of conflict. Many people can identify that family heirloom they have their heart set on. Don't let that become a source of contention for your beneficiaries.
6. Military and Digital Assets
Today’s Wills should include:
Digital accounts (email, banking, crypto, social media)
Military memorabilia
Awards and decorations
Photos, documents, and personal records
You can give someone authority to access these items and specify how they should be handled or preserved. Social media accounts now often have the capability of identifying a trusted contact who can take over your accounts should you become incapacitated.
7. A Residuary Clause (The “Everything Else” Provision)
This ensures that any asset not explicitly listed still gets distributed according to your wishes. Without this catch-all clause, some assets could unintentionally end up passing through intestacy laws.
One common strategy is to split the residuary evenly r donate it to a charity you have ties to.
8. Funeral and Burial Preferences
While your Will is not the place for urgent medical decisions, it can express:
Burial vs. cremation preferences
Military honors
Where you want to be buried or interred
Instructions for a ceremony
This relieves your family of difficult judgment calls during grief. Just like the conversation about your children, what happens to your remains should be discussed before you pass. Nobody wants to make those decisions for you.
How a Will Fits Into a Complete Estate Plan
A Will is essential, but it’s only part of a well-rounded plan. Military families should also consider:
Durable Power of Attorney (financial decisions)
Medical Power of Attorney
Living Will (end-of-life care preferences)
Beneficiary designations (SGLI, TSP, SBP, IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance)
A letter of instruction (non-legal guidance for your family)
Updated records before and after deployments or PCS moves
Together, these documents ensure that both your finances and your family are fully protected.
Common Misconceptions in the Military Community
Many service members and families believe the following—incorrectly:
- “I’m young and healthy. I don’t need a Will.”
- Accidents and health emergencies don’t discriminate by age. A Will is not about age—it’s about responsibility.
- “My spouse automatically gets everything.”
- Not necessarily. Without a Will, state law controls distribution, and the results can be complicated (especially in blended families).
- “The military already handles this for me.”
- No military branch creates a Will for you. They provide access to legal assistance, but you must make the decisions.
- “My SGLI beneficiary form covers everything.”
- SGLI only covers that one policy. It does not:
Name guardians
Manage children’s inheritance
Distribute other assets
Handle property
Coordinate with your state laws
You still need a Will.
Final Thoughts: A Will Is a Family Readiness Plan
Just like you maintain readiness for your unit, your family needs legal, financial, and emotional readiness. A Will is one of the simplest but most powerful tools in that readiness plan.
It:
Gives you control
Protects your spouse and children
Simplifies the legal process
Coordinates with your military benefits
Ensures your values and wishes are honored
Service members and veterans know better than most that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Preparing today is not morbid—it’s responsible, loving, and deeply protective.
Want to review your estate plan?
Schedule a complimentary consultation or contact us to speak with a financial advisor who understands the military and veteran lifestyle.
Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for educational purposes only; it should not be construed as legal advice, tax advice or financial planning. Consult a professional for legal, tax or financial planning advice before making any changes. All photos are from open-source domains, generated by artificial intelligence or are the property of Stars & Stripes Financial Advisors.