We have all heard the joke “Procrastinators Unite…Tomorrow”! Creating a Last Will and Testament is one of those things that I should have done at the very least 7 years ago (my children are 6 and 7 years old). I kept putting it off and putting it off. Suffice to say that had something happened to my wife and I, my children would have potentially trapped in all the legal red tape prior to HOPEFULLY being placed with one of our siblings or parents…hopefully.
Luckily for me, through the assistance of a very worthwhile program, my wife and I have finally created our own wills, advanced medical directives, and durable power of attorney forms!
The program I am referring to is Wills For Heroes. The program was started by Anthony C. Hayes and Jeffrey H. Jacobson.
Wills For Heroes history:
Anthony Hayes, a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, LLP, in Columbia, South Carolina, started the Wills For Heroes program shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Anthony emailed the Columbia Fire Department asking what lawyers could do to help that department. During an impromptu focus group, it became clear that there was a glaring need for estate planning services.
Basically, my wife and I received free legal assistance through the Wills For Heroes program. The program was set up locally and there were many firefighters and police officers who took advantage of the service. My wife and I were assisted by Attorney Bryan G. Bosta. It was kind of interesting seeing a litigation Attorney sitting behind a laptop w/ printer doing our forms out of compassion for what I do for a living. I must say that it was great to take advantage of others supporting us out of thanks for what we do.
Please do not contact Bryan though. Actually, individuals are asked NOT to contact the Wills For Heroes program. Instead, organizations or departments are asked to contact them to create a program in their area. Their web site offers the States who offer the program, the ones who are working on getting the program, and the ones who do not.
I now have comfort in knowing that if something were to happen, my children are taken care of!