A Will  serves a variety of important purposes. It enables a person to select his heirs rather than allowing the state laws of descent and distribution to choose the heirs, who, although blood relatives, might be people the testator dislikes or with whom he is unacquainted. A will allows a person to decide which individual could best serve as the executor of his estate, distributing the property fairly to the beneficiaries while protecting their interests, rather than allowing a court to appoint a stranger to serve as administrator. A will safeguards a person’s right to select an individual to serve as guardian to raise his young children in the event of his death. Over time the distinction has disappeared so that a will, sometimes called a “last will and testament,” disposes of both real and personal property.  A Will does not avoid PROBATE.