When I was in college, I got my first dog of my own, a Hungarian vizsla named Maddy. Dartmouth was special in that it allowed dogs to attend class, so Maddy joined me everywhere

Tuesday Triage

October 14, 2025

Hi there,

 

When I was in college, I got my first dog of my own, a Hungarian vizsla named Maddy. Dartmouth was special in that it allowed dogs to attend class, so Maddy joined me everywhere, even on the cross-country team runs, where she was the fastest hill climber on the team. She had her own spot on the track roster and quote on the website: “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.”

 

With all her good behavior and campus fame, it was easy to forget she was, in fact, still a dog. One morning, Maddy and I were headed into Russian class when my professor told me there was a guest lecture that day and kindly offered to let Maddy stay in her office while we went.

 

The problem? My professor was known for bringing homemade lunches. When we returned from the lecture, her lunch was gone. I was mortified. Maddy wasn’t.

 

I’d expected Maddy to do more than she was capable of doing, to act less like a dog and more like a person. This same mismatch of expectations and reality happens when people expect their Wills to do more than they’re built to do.

 

They expect their Will to handle everything, every account, every asset, every “what if.” But a Will can only do what it’s built to do. And in many cases, that’s a lot less than people think.

What a Will Actually Does (and Doesn’t Do)

A Will only controls your probate assets, the things that aren’t already spoken for by a contract or by joint ownership.

 

Here’s the quick breakdown on asset transfers at death:

Your Will doesn’t decide who gets your IRA — your beneficiary designation does. Your Will doesn’t control the home you own with your spouse — that passes automatically to the survivor. But it does cover things like jewelry, furniture, and individual accounts without beneficiary or payable- on-death designations.

 

Understanding this distinction is one of the most important, and most misunderstood, parts of estate planning.

If You Don’t Have a Will

If you die without a Will, your assets don’t disappear into government hands. They follow your state’s intestate succession laws, which may or may not reflect what you actually want.

 

For example:

Today, I walk you through real examples, including how my own house, IRA, and my mother’s antique ring each pass differently at my death, and help you decide whether you actually need a Will.

 

Because peace of mind isn’t about paperwork. It’s about knowing your plan works the way you think it does.

Thanks for reading (and for running with the big dogs).

P.S. A Will that doesn’t match your real-life assets is like trusting a dog not to eat a sandwich. My Estate Planning Support Services are how we fix that, bridging the gap between what you think your plan does and what it actually will do.