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Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Ind. Law - Resolving to make a will for 2006?
Some quotes from a story today in the Munster (NW Indiana) Times:
MERRILLVILLE | If you're struggling to find a unique New Year's resolution that will last longer than next month, how about one that will reach into perpetuity? Or at least beyond your grave.Estate planning and preparing a living will seems less flashy than losing weight, snuffing out tobacco or being a happier person in 2006, but the benefits continue even after death.
Last month's "Write a Will Week" -- designed to set up local attorneys to write simple wills for residents at no charge -- was a success, local officials said, as hundreds of calls came in for the annual program.
The goal is to increase awareness about the importance of estate planning, and remind people about charitable bequests.
"Generally, there are two times when people elect to make a will and plan their estates," said Bill Wagner, a Valparaiso attorney with Hoeppner, Wagner & Evans, who volunteered his time. "First, when there are custody concerns with young children, and second, when people get older in age."
Wagner, who's been writing wills since the 1950s, said although four out of five Americans donated to some charity last year, less than 10 percent of people remembered their favorite charities in their wills after death.
It's estimated that less than half of all citizens have wills prepared before they die, according to the National Committee on Planned Giving.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 3, 2006 08:01 AM
Posted to Indiana Law