Recent celebrity deaths — Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays and Karl Malden — are a reminder that everyone needs a will, even though most Americans don’t have multimillion-dollar estates.

With a will, questions of child custody, ex-spouses and bank accounts can be answered.Colorado Springs attorney Larry Gaddis, the immediate past president of the El Paso County Bar Association, starts the process by having his clients address these three points.· Make a list of assets. Cars, cash, real estate – everything should be included.· Decide how assets will be divided. Who will get what? Spell it out clearly.· Choose a personal representative or executor to oversee the affairs of the estate.Standard wills start at $400 if an attorney draws it up. But making a will doesn’t have to be expensive.In Colorado, handwritten wills are valid. They must be signed and dated by the deceased, Gaddis said. They don’t have to be signed by witnesses. Online or software generated forms can help settle simple estates like those with no minor children. They must be signed and notarized by at least two witnesses who are not beneficiaries, Gaddis said.Often they are signed incorrectly, or issues such as unmarried partnerships complicate matters. Gaddis says it’s best to have a lawyer handle the paperwork.When a will is firmly in place, make sure family members know where to find it, Gaddis said. If no one can locate the will, your last wishes may never be heard.

Up the cool factor of Watermelon Coolers by using ice cubes made from lemonade. Photo by Detroit Free Press