Do You Have a Will in Place Yet?

August is National Get a Will Month.  A Will is that document you’ve heard about that tells your survivors what you want to have happen for your kids, your property, and your memories when you are gone.

Unfortunately, lots of people with children (75%) don’t have a Will.  Yes, making the decision to Get a Will requires the confronting of some unpleasantness.  Pushing through that, though, results in avoiding a lot of greater unpleasantness later.

You may have heard this one before:  “If you live in the State of Washington and you die without a plan for your kids and your property, it’s OK, because the State will make a plan for you.”   Funny how the plan that the State would make for you won’t resemble the one that you would have made for your kids and your property.

If you are not comfortable leaving it up to some folks in Olympia to decide the fate of who and what you leave behind, consider the fact that there are several very well qualified attorneys right here in Magnolia, each with a wide variety of cost structures, and all of them quite capable of guiding you through the process of creating your Will.

One of the requirements of getting a Will, and one that is a somewhat frequent impediment, is whom to name as your Personal Representative.  The common choice for this role is the family member who “has their act together.” A lesser known, but significantly stronger choice, is to name a professional.  And, there are professional fiduciaries right here in Magnolia.

National Get a Will Month was created to encourage people to make a plan to provide peace of mind for themselves and their families. The immense emotions that a person feels when a loved one passes is a lot to deal with.  If you don’t have a Will, consider that you will be adding significant stress to those you love by not providing them with the most important tool to carry out your plans; your family will have no choice but to sit and watch while the government makes decisions for you.  A Will is a gift that you give to the loved ones you leave behind.

August is National Get a Will Month, which is followed by “Back to School September”.  As you follow the time honored tradition of planning for a new school year, plan also to give your kids and yourself the gift of peace of mind by taking a few simple steps, and Get a Will.