Wills come in different forms. A person can have a will of their own. Two people can have a single will together. In this case, a will is known as a joint will. Likewise, two people can also have mutual wills. Mutual wills are technically separate documents but ones that contain reciprocal provisions. Reciprocal provisions can be used, for example, when two or more people own a piece of property jointly and wish for that property to be disposed of in a uniform manner.

A person who dies without a will is known to have died “intestate.” When a person dies intestate, their real property (e.g., land, home, et cetera) and their personal property (e.g., personal items, furniture, car, et cetera) would be distributed according to the statutory rules of intestacy. Dying intestate could mean that your estranged family might inherit from you after your death. That is certainly not a result most people would want. Not to mention, if you do not have any kin, the State of Tennessee could inherit from you.