People are living so long these days that you might decide that your 90th birthday would be a good day to draft a will.

Bad idea.

Even those of relatively modest means would be wise to draft a will and to draft it early. No family situation brings on more stress than dividing up Mom and Dad’s estate after a parent dies.

If you don’t have a will, start shopping around for a lawyer. Rates for drafting a will vary from state to state (and from law office to law office). Prices range from as low as $250 all the way up to $5,000 or more, according to Oscar Straus III, director of the Elderly Project at Volunteers of Legal Service. So don’t be afraid to ask for price quotes before you settle on a lawyer.

Some do’s and don’ts of drafting a will:

¢ Do revise your will after big life events. Straus advises reviewing your will after major life changes, such as a death, divorce or the birth of a child, to ensure that all necessary revisions are made.

¢ Do review your will regularly. Even if nothing life altering occurs, it’s smart to review your will every three to four years. Relationships change, and you may find that you’re less comfortable with your bequests as time progresses.

¢ Don’t sign more than one copy. All signed wills, regardless of how old, are valid, Straus says. To avoid confusion, limit yourself to signing just one. You can keep copies, but remember: copies are not legally binding except under very unique circumstances, so it’s critical to keep the original in a safe place.

¢ Don’t store your will in your safe deposit box. Some states require that a safe deposit box be sealed when the holder dies, and it takes time to get the will released. Instead, consider letting your lawyer hold onto the will, or allowing the executor to put it in his or her safe deposit box. Regardless of where you store it, be sure to tell someone where it is.

¢ Don’t write on your will. Writing changes or addendums directly on to your will can void the entire document, Straus warns, so make alterations only in the presence of your lawyer and your witnesses.