[sleeplessinGA]

My husband and I have talked and talked about doing our wills - but we never seem to get around to it. So I was wondering if there was someone that could tell us how to do it quick - like tomorrow or Monday

[thatboyaintright]

My husband and I have talked and talked about doing our wills - but we never seem to get around to it. So I was wondering if there was someone that could tell us how to do it quick - like tomorrow or Monday

Call the attorney & they may be able to work you guys in. Your financial advisor should have been on you all's case to get this done from day one & talking to you about all this.

[West Metro Realty]

Try Elizabeth Williams at Talley Richardson and Cable.

[Cuteyellowbug]

Last week, we had an Aunt (my side) and an Uncle (his side) die on the same day. One was prepared with a will and his funeral paid for along with all the details (to include the time of the service). This was such a blessing for his son. My Aunt, however, had no will or plans. This made for a highly stressful time during an already emotional situation.

Congrats to you and your dh for preparing your estate. Your loved ones left behind will thank you for your thoughfulness.(hopefully, not anytime soon!)

[jlh10101]

Legalzoom.com I hear ads for them all the time.


http://www.legalzoom.com/

[blessedwithboys]

also try

http://legacywriter.com/

[lowrider]

I have the software for WillWriter.

Funny you should bring it up.

I have a will, living will, Power of Attorney for Health Care and a Durable Power of Attorney.

So does my husband because I made him.

My mother-in-law has been in the hospital, and my husband and his sister had to place her in a nursing home last week.

Lucklily she has a will, a living will and a Power of Attorney for Health Care (because I made it for her) but no where was there a Durable Power of Attorney.

When I was doing the will and stuff (back in 2004) somehow I forgot about the Durable POA, so I'm not sure how this will be handled.

But it is very important that you have a will so that your family doesn't have to suffer any more than they already are.

Mine is spelled out from a trust for my grandson, to the disposal of the property I have in Alabama, to the money that will be left, to the cremation and where I want my ashes spread. Memorial? That's up to my family and I said so in the will.

Another thing that is good to do? Write a letter to each person that you care about. It's something that you can add to as the years go on, especially with Word Document, save what you typed, print it, put it with your will, and when you think of something else you want to say, or as the years go by, add to your letter. Especially to your children.

You just never know.

It's always best to be prepared.

And since all of this has come about with my MIL, I just updated mine this week, meaning I made new ones, had them witnessed and notarized. Shredded the old ones. Never leave an old one or a copy lying around when you make a new will.

Anything is better than nothing. Even if you have to follow a guideline that you find on-line (and there are plenty if you do a search), sign it, get it witnessed and notarized if possible. It will stand up in court.

If you have younger children, spell out where you want them to go and with whom.

Everything is important.

Good Luck!

[jbmgmom]

You can also buy a program like Family Law for the computer and create it yourself. Then you just need to take it somewhere and have it notorized. It depends on how detailed you need to be. We have kids and were able to use the computer to create ours.

Hope that helps.

[peachesga]

there have been threads about this before. You should use an attorney. That is if you want it done right.

I recommend Elizabeth Williams as well. She did my will for me and my husband and we got an appt within 48 hours of the day we called.

[spaz]

My mom made a will 2 days before she passed away! I'm so thankful that it was done.

[sleeplessinGA]

thanks everyone - the easy thing is we only have one son so everything will go to him - we just need to get it in writing - if we don't have it everything goes to the state right????? I don't know the laws very well.

[Lady Raider]

I have a CD.. it is called Personal legal paper work.. it has everything on it that you need, from wills, power of attorney, quick claim deeds.. etc..

I did my daddy's will, and it stood up in a court of law.. people tried to fight it but it was tough enough for a judge to up hold it..

if you would like to borrow it let me know.. but I can not get it to you this weekend, it would have to be on monday..

note when you do your own will, you will have to pay 150.00 to get it probated after death... so your son would have to pay that..

as long as you have what you want written down and it is notized and signed and dated and witnessed... it will be ok..

[spaz]

thanks everyone - the easy thing is we only have one son so everything will go to him - we just need to get it in writing - if we don't have it everything goes to the state right????? I don't know the laws very well.

The state can and will take everything if you don't have a will.If you only have one child it will be easier from him/her.If your child is old enough and responsible enough to leave things alone until you are gone have his name put on all your accounts.This will also make things easier. My dad's name was on all my mother's accounts so this was not a problem.Godd Luck!- My name was added to both accounts to make things easier for me later.

[Lady Raider]

I agree with having your son's named added to everything you have... this is what my parents did when we found out my Daddy was sick., my name is on everything they own, the home is even in my name, that way if anything comes up I can fight it and mama will not have to deal with it...

have your sons name put on everything you own., vehicles, checking accounts, everything...

[Being Beachy]

thanks everyone - the easy thing is we only have one son so everything will go to him - we just need to get it in writing - if we don't have it everything goes to the state right????? I don't know the laws very well.

I don' think everything goes to the state persay. I think it goes into Probate which could take along time and cost your estate uneeded money to deal with Probate court.

Although everything is going to your son if something happens to both you and your husband at the same time, you also need to clarify that if you or your spouse were to die first...who gets what. Depending on your sons age, you will need to set up custody and you also will need to set up trusts for all the money he would stand to inherit. If he is an adult, you could still do trusts so that it won't be obtained all at once.

When doing our will (we used Chad Plumley in Hiram), we also set up a living will and power of attorney. This covered items that I never really thought about. I was able to tell my family my wishes about being hooked up to machines and when to "pull the plug." I felt like this takes alot of pressure and guilt off my loved ones if that were ever to happen.

Chad was very helpful and explained alot. There are many laws dealing with estates and estate taxes so you may want to consult an attorney.

[Mark0732]

I see a lot of great advice, so I will not duplicate. Here are a few other items to consider.
1. If your son is old enough, for checking accounts and investment accounts you can convert your account to a Transfer on Death account so that your son automatically has immediate access to funds in the event of your death. This avoids needing to wait for probate to get these funds un-frozen.
2. For IRA's and 401k's you can list your son as the beneficiary and also list contingent beneficiaries.
An attorney drafted will is the best, and it usually takes a week or two because many questions arise and revisions are made. This is really important and you shouldn't just use a generic will from some website. Lane Frostbaum 770-392-9004 prepared my will, my living will and my financial power of attorney for around $300. Plus, I now have him on retainer, should I ever need legal advise. Sometimes its nice to be able to say... "I have an attorney on retainer, so you'd better...".

[AustinPlantation]

You should also go to one of the free Advanced Directive sessions given by Wellstar.

They had one at Paulding a couple of months ago, but got no response.

The one we attended was excellent.

Advance Directives
The WellStar Advance Directives program, Critical Conditions, encourages individuals and families to think, talk about, and plan their end-of-life decisions. The program addresses issues typically found in a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, but in a more comprehensive manner to assure an individual's wishes are honored. When completed, the Directive for Final Health Care provides legal documentation with clear instructions for family members and physicians to follow when dealing with these difficult and emotional end-of-life issues.

Community workshops provide guidance about end-of-life decision-making, including life support, nutrition and resuscitation. Participants are led through a step-by-step process using a planning guide. Ask for a complimentary planning guide at any WellStar healthcare facility or call 770.793.7388. Workshops are offered free of charge at all WellStar hospitals and Cobb County Senior Centers.

To obtain a listing of workshop dates, times, and locations, click here or call 770.956.STAR (7827). To schedule a Critical Conditions workshop for your congregation or community group, call WellStar's Congregational Nurse at 770.793-7388.

Upcoming dates:

Douglas Hospital
Wednesday August 20
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

West Cobb Senior Center
Friday, September 12
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Cobb Hospital
Thursday, October 16
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

East Cobb Medical Center
Thursday, November 6
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Health Place
Monday, November 10
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Paulding Hospital
Tuesday, November 11
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

C. Freeman Poole Senior Center
Thursday, November 13
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

WellStar Development Center
Tuesday, December 2
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

[peachesga]

i really hope that no one on here relies on "legal advice" from paulding.com