As stated above, by planning your estate, you have control over how your assets are distributed. Many people use this if they know certain family members would benefit from certain assets. Conversely, it can also be used to keep certain people from receiving part of the estate.
Estate planning also allows for putting someone in charge of distributing assets. Since that period of life is normally very stressful, having someone in place to handle the estate can ease confusion and heartache. Fighting over an estate can exacerbate the struggle of surviving family and friends.
The estate plan can even include expressions of values and ethics, being conveyed by the person in charge of the estate. That way, both assets and invaluable personality traits can be passed down.