A topic many people don’t want to deal with right now or maybe never. Yet, a will is essential as it clearly states where you want all of your assets to go after you die. If you have children, you decide who cares for them.
When you have a will, your estate (assets) processing will be quicker and cheaper. The State doesn’t decide — you do.
Do you have a will? Over half of all adults do not have a will, according to research from lawyers.com. Do you think women are more reluctant to complete their wills?
Here are some reasons people don’t create wills:
- They don’t feel they have enough assets to create a will.
- Don’t want to deal with one’s death — too scary.
- I don’t have the time.
- I can’t afford one.
- I don’t know who to speak to about a will.
- Too young — don’t need a will yet.
If you haven’t created your will, this is the time to ask what you must protect. Plenty of people get squeamish thinking about their death, so you are not alone — yet it’s still something you can do. If you are resistant, find a friend to work together in developing your wills.
Two Most Popular Wills:
- Regular Will – protects your children and your assets.
- Living Will – allows you to decide on your medical care before the need arises — now, you can determine your medical intervention.
What to Do to Create a Will
- If you have children, who do you want to care for them?
- Create a list of everything of value that you own — money, jewelry, electronics, etc. Look around your home and catalog all you have — no judgment on value here, capture what you own.
- If you were to give the item to anyone right now, who would you give it to — children, family, friends, charity. (If you said “trash,” it’s probably a good idea to do it now.)
- Who do you want to oversee executing your will?
- Locate a lawyer (ask around if you don’t know anyone) or go online to create a simple will.
What to Do to Create a Living Will
- Take the time to reflect on what medical intervention you want if you were ever in a critical condition. Do you want the doctors to do everything possible, no matter what the result, to keep you alive? Or, if you are not capable of caring for yourself in the long run, would you prefer to have no medical intervention.
- If you are not sure, find a friend you trust to help you figure out what you want.
- Locate a lawyer (ask around if you don’t know anyone) or go online to create a simple living will.
If you don’t have a will, add the “creating your will” activity on your “To Do” list as soon as possible. Even though we think we are in control of our lives, the unexpected can occur at any time — so be prepared.
LegalZoom.com. We’ve used this site for legal documents — DBA, Trademark Searches and Wills and they were efficient. They called us whenever there were questions about our papers. They provide a whole range of legal documents — quickly and cost-effective. To review their wills and living wills, go to Wills overview – LegalZoom.com
Your Thoughts
Are you squeamish about creating your will? Have you done it, and can you offer any help to others to motivate them to move forward and do their wills?
Women’s Group Topics
It is a potentially challenging topic or could help everyone to create a will and protect themselves.
Be well,
Pat
“To fully enjoy the ‘richness’ of our lives, we need to stop long enough to visit with ourselves.”
(Pat Brill)
Other Topics You May Be Interested In
Make Meal Time Special
Do You Take the Time to Listen to Yourself?
How to Let Go of Ambivalence
Do you want to download a PDF copy of both of these books, then go to:
https://www.womens-group.net/
