What a will does
A will says who receives your property, names the person who will carry out your wishes, and nominates a guardian for children under 18. Without one, state law decides who inherits and a court chooses who raises your children.
What a will cannot do
A will does not avoid probate. In California, an estate passing under a will generally goes through court unless it qualifies for a small estate procedure. The statutory fees alone can be significant: on a $500,000 estate, the attorney's statutory fee and the personal representative's statutory fee are each $13,000 under California Probate Code section 10810.
The pour-over will
When your plan is built around a living trust, your will "pours over" anything you did not move into the trust during your life. It is a safety net. The goal is still to fund the trust fully, so the pour-over will has little or nothing to do.