“Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others. - Otto von Bismarck When it comes to writing a will, there is one problem with learning from your own mistakes: by the time the mistake is discovered, it is usually too late to fix it. Over the years, I have assisted families with probate proceedings involving Israeli assets. Many of the issues I encounter could have been avoided with a few simple conversations at the planning stage.