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August 6th, 2025

August is National Make-A-Will Month: Why DIY Isn’t the Way to Go

August is National Make-A-Will Month, a timely reminder to take care of one of the most important—and most overlooked—legal tasks: creating a will. Whether you're just starting your adult life, raising a family, or enjoying retirement, having a will ensures that your wishes are followed and your loved ones are protected.

With a quick internet search, you’ll find plenty of do-it-yourself (DIY) will-making tools. They’re inexpensive, convenient, and promise fast results. But when it comes to your legacy and the people you care about most, fast and cheap often turns out to be costly and incomplete.

The Hidden Risks of DIY Wills

DIY wills may seem straightforward, but estate planning is far from one-size-fits-all. Many people using online templates don't realize:

The form may not comply with Minnesota law.
It may leave out key assets or important people.
It could lead to confusion, conflict, or even litigation among heirs.
Your estate may still face avoidable taxes, probate delays, or unintended outcomes.

Even the fine print on most DIY websites recommends having your documents reviewed by an attorney. Why? Because mistakes can be expensive—and the worst part is, you won’t be around to fix them.

Why Professional Help Matters

A qualified estate planning attorney doesn’t just fill in blanks. They ask the right questions, help you think through your wishes, and make sure your documents are valid, thorough, and customized for your unique situation. They also consider broader issues like guardianship, tax strategies, blended families, business ownership, and healthcare directives—things a basic online form can’t do well.

Bottom Line: National Make-A-Will Month is the perfect time to take action, but don’t leave your legacy to chance. A will should give you peace of mind—not uncertainty. Talk to a professional who can help you do it right the first time.

Need guidance? Our experienced estate planning team is here to help you create a will that truly protects your family, reflects your values, and stands the test of time.

To learn more about estate planning, keep an eye on our Events page located at: https://www.wagnerlegalmn.com/events/.

If you’re ready to start being proactive about your estate plan, contact us to get started.

Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter for updates.

Categories: Estate Planning

Testimonials

I was provided individualized attention and felt I was understood and the service provided in a timely fashion. Guidance to the right resources also was a big help.”

Every person we dealt with was so professional, friendly and answered all our questions and concerns.”

Jennifer Gumbel went above and beyond to help my family with our estate planning. We greatly appreciate all she did, and will be using her services in the future. We will recommend her to all of our family and friends.”

Judi Wilson was recommended to us by a very trusted friend. We could not have been more pleased with our experience (start to finish) with Judi’s expertise, comfort level and thoroughness. Would highly recommend to anyone needing expert advice, cou…”

We were referred to Jennifer Gumbel by our retired attorney. She provided excellent service in updating our estate plan. Highly recommend her to others.”

I was provided individualized attention and felt I was understood and the service provided in a timely fashion. Guidance to the right resources also was a big help. Of course Ms Wilson took special interest in my situation, understanding it fully, cl…”

We have complete confidence in Wagner Oehler … handling two separate trusts for our estate planning. Our attorney, Judi Wilson, has been with us for years, and we thank her for joining this firm to allow great backup if she is not available.”

They developed a very comprehensive estate plan for me. I have the highest confidence in the competence of these professionals coupled with their extensive real-world experience.”

We were extremely pleased with the process, communication, and completion of our family trust with Cole Tousignant and Wagner Oehler, Ltd.”

Attorney Judi Wilson and her team did fabulous work putting together my estate plan in the midst of a series of complicated life changes for me. They rolled with everything, adapted, dealt with my multiple postponements, did not charge me a penny mor…”

We were referred to Wagner Oehler, LTD by our financial advisor for estate planning. We met with Alyssa Jerde and Elijah Kane and had a wonderful experience. They were friendly, courteous, and highly professional. Elements of the Trust were fully exp…”

Very happy with Wagner Oehler service for our new Trust documents. Highly recommend.”

I worked with Jennifer Gumbel and Becky Henry as the trustee of my mom’s estate. Both were excellent to work with and they made the process of handling the trust and selling real estate very smooth. I appreciated the feeling of kindness in all…”

The service provided by Wagner Oehler attorney office was great. The security system utilized was trustfull. The quick answers were submitted at the right time. Thank you.”

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They do excellent work and are very thorough. Would highly recommend them!”

Great team to work with. Very knowledgeable, professional, accurate, and timely. Love working with them.”

Becky is a rock star and a consummate professional!! From start to finish my real estate transaction was seamless, since Becky was always on top of things and did an excellent job of communicating things throughout the process. Even when snags came u…”

It was a pleasure doing business with this firm. Judi was very courteous, professional and knowledgeable in her field. We will certainly consider them as our source for any future estate planning needs, as they develop.”

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Jennifer Gumbel was a great help with our estate planning and took time to answer all our questions, made the Probate journey easy. I would highly recommend Jennifer to my friends and family. She never makes you feel like you need to hurry she gives…”

Knowledgable, understanding and caring.”

Jennifer was clear and concise while explaining our needs. She answered our questions in a very timely manner. The costs were very competitive and a great value for our life plan needs. Highly recommend.”

Jason Wagner is an impressively intelligent, and experienced family lawyer with a heavy emphasis on farm business and real estate law. He has built up an incredible support staff and additional lawyers to cover a broader spectrum of the complex busin…”

Very happy with Wagner Oehler service for our new Trust documents. Highly recommend.”

We were pleased with the service we received. Jason Wagner answered questions the we had and Tamara Scroggins reached out to us to make sure everything was in order.”

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Excellent law firm… very friendly team to work with everything explained very well.. and done in a timely manner”

Jason did a fantastic job working on our trust and business entities. He and his firm get five stars!!”

Very happy with Wagner Oehler service for our new Trust documents. Highly recommend.”

Great people to work with. Highly recommended.”

Judi and Elijah were great to work with when my wife and I set up our living revocable trust. The online questionnaire was also extremely helpful in helping us organize our assets and make sure we had everything covered. I would highly recommend Wagn…”

God bless your staff. Everyone here has been so patient with me. Your staff is excellent.”

I am very pleased with the work Cole and his team did on my real estate transaction. Cole is extremely knowledgeable and was so easy to work with. Corresponding with Tamara was a breeze also. I will definitely continue to work with them in the future…”

Cole grew up on a family farm so he understands the concerns farmers have”

Very professional. Answered all of our questions. Everything was done in a timely matter. They made Estate planning very easy. We waited so long because we were worried it was going to be so much work and effort. But they did most of the work. They e…”

We started doing estate planning with Bill Oehler in the 1980’s and have continued to work with this firm. Now we work with Jason. He continues to meet our needs just as well as Bill did. We are very pleased.”

We were very pleased with our estate planning process. Our attorney was knowledgeable, and also helped us with the follow-up work needed for the plan to have any value.”

All interactions with Wagner Oehler, Ltd were very positive and beneficial. I recommended two friends to this law firm and their needs were met in a professional manner. I would recommend them to others in need of legal assistance..”

Knowledgeable, understanding and caring.”

Alyssa was very friendly and accommodating. She made it easy to understand what the trust was about.”

Jennifer helped me with my mother’s trust. She made sense of things when I was unsure what to do. Jennifer was always easy to reach and she always returned calls very quickly. I’d definitely use her services again, if a need arises. Thanks Jennif…”

I am very pleased with the service received from Jason and all staff in creating my estate plan. The spectrum of tasks accomplished and information received far exceeded anything achieved in my previous estate plan. I feel very secure.”

The service provided by the Wagner Oehler attorney office was great. The security system utilized was trustful. The quick answers were submitted at the right time. Thank you.”

Jason was great in handling our real estate issues. He wrote a letter for us that was very detailed and professional and addressed the issue to the buyers, all while supporting us. We greatly appreciated his advice, to the extreme of using his off ho…”

Great customer service, answered all my questions, quick turn around with documents!”

Thank you for your review rating and for trusting Wagner Oehler to handle your case. Please reach out anytime if we can be of assistance in the future.”

What a relief to have worked with Judi Wilson at Wagner Oehler. She took her time to explain things well, and we’re confident in everything that’s been set up. We loved the followup videos they sent after the final meeting. Great reminder…”

Jason was extremely professional, kind and helpful. We would highly recommend Wagner Oehler Ltd Legal Services!”

Alyssa and the staff were courteous and professional. Helped us answer any questions and help guide us in the process. They made the process very easy. Loved how they explained everything to me in an understandable way. I will definitely use them in…”

Jason and his whole team is the best! I’ve been in business for 42 years never had a legal team this good. Smart, sharp and fair!”

Wagner Oehler Ltd. have been very helpful and through I’m helping me prepare and estate plan and with performing title transfer roles for real estate sales after my wife died. The attorneys and staff were very helpful, pleasant, and patient answeri…”

Becky Henry was great to work with. Her communication was awesome, even taking time for us on a Friday evening after hours. When we ran into a snag with the title company and home sale check, Becky took care of the details and again had great communi…”

We have worked with Jason for our will and health directive and my father also worked with him before his death. My dad was a hard sell and he really liked Jason and his care and concern. We have revised our will several times and Jason is always pro…”

Very satisfied with all of our business with Wagner law firm.”

The firm handled our complicated farmland sale successfully. It included a change in our partnership and a 1031 exchange as part of the process. It also involved multiple parties in 3 states working through the transactions together. Becky and Jennif…”

It was very nice to do business with the entire firm. Everyone was easy to work with and very professional.”

I just finished a real estate purchase. I honestly believe this whole transaction would not have been completed without the exceptional expertise, diligence and thoughtful consideration of Becky Henry. She is unflappable; probably because she is so k…”

My father and I worked with Alec and Becky and they were amazing! We quickly closed on our property and they helped us with the issues that arose while going thru the sale of the property. I will definitely use them again in the future.”

Jennifer went over my Will and other Directives to make sure everything was still in order and we took necessary steps to update other items. Very happy with the work she did.”

Becky Henry handled two farm real estate transactions for me during 2021. Becky was very professional, thorough, and always interested if I had any concerns or questions. I may purchase more land in 2022 and look forward to working with her again.”

We just worked with Becky Henry and Alec Osland on purchasing a property. Our experience was very positive. Our questions were answered immediately, and we were always kept in the loop. They were both very knowledgeable and reassuring, even with all…”

Our family worked with Jason Wagner and Tamara Scroggins on what turned out to be a very complicated sale of our family farm to a nonprofit conservation organization. They walked us through the process every step of the way, and personally committed…”

Becky Henry was great to work with. She was very thorough on her information and instructions and the closing process was very smooth. Everything was done in a timely manner. We would definitely work with her again in the future.”

Becky Henry did a good job handling the sale of our real estate. The sale was done very efficiently, and Becky always kept in contact as to the progress of the sale. We have worked with this law firm over the years and have been very satisfied with t…”

Alyssa Jerde was amazing helping us set up our trust and walking us thru it. She made it such an easy process. I would highly recommend her for all your estate needs.”

Our house sale was a delight to go through with Alec providing answers to our questions and concerns. The firm did an outstanding job with the details and maintained our timeline for the move. Thank you to the entire team from a satisfied customer.”

Working with Alec was so nice! He worked with us on the sale of our home and was always easy to contact…… even with a question on the weekend. It was seamless! He is personable and takes the time to explain options. We are so glad that we connect…”

We are very appreciative of the quick, professional help that we got from Becky and Cole in getting a closing done right at the end of the year. The process went smoothly even though there was just a short time to get it completed. Thanks for a good…”

Becky & Alec were extremely helpful throughout the process of selling my home. They were both patient with my questions and provided clear answers. I saved a good bit of money working with them and highly recommend them to anyone selling their home.”

Excellent legal advice. Reviewed all the legal options & consequences of our decisions. Helpful from start to finish.”

They turnaround their title work extremely quickly (faster than any attorney firm I've ever worked with in 40 plus years of banking), their fees are reasonable, and their people are absolutely "top notch" to work with.”

After moving to Minnesota from another state my husband and I needed someone to update our wills and trust and make any necessary changes to comply with both Minnesota regulations as well as our changing family situation. Jason is extremely capable a…”

The transaction went smoothly, and I felt welcome to ask questions.”

I hired Attorney Jason Wagner to assist me in resolving a claim related to an annuity I had received from a relative upon her death as well as resolving my claim as related to the validity of her will. Jason’s profile and that of his firm appea…”

I recommend Jennifer Gumbel to anyone that needs help with estate planning. Jennifer made the daunting process understandable and simple for me. Not only did she do this with kindness but it also was done in a very timely manner.”

Ward & Oehler are awesome!!”

We had them do our wills….great service!”

The best I know.”

Living overseas and selling farmland in MN was problematic, but Becky Henry made the process easy for me. Her work and advice led to a non-stressful close. Can’t thank her enough!!”

After my dad died my brother and I found out our dad had no will which left both of us clueless on where to start. We hired Jason right away and he made the whole process of going through the estate stress free. Without Jason’s knowledge of the…”

Bill is a great attorney! He’s served us/me well for many years!”

Very nice and quick service.”

Honest, professional, and down to earth.”

Becky Henry & Cole Tousignant were extremely helpful, knowledgeable, flexible and understanding throughout our entire process! We would recommend them for any of your needs!”

I recently purchased a condominium in Rochester, MN. As an out of state attorney, I knew that retaining competent counsel in Minnesota to represent me in the transaction was important. For that reason, I retained Jason Wagner and his firm. Jason did…”

They handled our Real Estate closing & did an awesome job. Becky Henry basically took care of everything for us – so smooth. Thanks!!”

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August is National Make-A-Will Month: Why DIY Isn’t the Way to Go

The Hidden Risks of DIY Wills

Why Professional Help Matters

Practice Areas

Send Us A Message

Testimonials

Contact Us

<img class="size-medium wp-image-4376 alignleft" src="https://www.wagnerlegalmn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/440/2025/08/National-make-a-will-month-300x251.png" alt="" width="300" height="251" />August is National Make-A-Will Month: Why DIY Isn’t the Way to Go

The Hidden Risks of DIY Wills

Why Professional Help Matters

Practice Areas

Send Us A Message

Testimonials

Contact Us

August is National Make-A-Will Month: Why DIY Isn’t the Way to Go