Do you have a will?

Kellybeth124

I'm watching TLC's Mystery Diagnosis and it made me think about the "if" scenarios. Do you have a living will? A regular will? If yes, did you go through a lawyer or one of those "packages" that they sell in stores?

I have fears of something happening to DH and I and our families fighting over what our final wishes would be. 

keb270

We don't but plan to make one soon. Death does very strange things to people. I have seen awful fights over property from otherwise civilized people. I don't want someone else to make a decision that I might not have agreed with, so we have talked about doing it soon through DH's work.

kaleyandjason

I do not have one, but my aunt just finished her's and dropped off the copy to my mom (who gets her children if something happens). I took a look at it, and now we are thinking about getting them, too.

mamie329

I do not. I'm not even sure the proper channels to go through. Do you just call a lawyer up to draft one? How much does such a thing cost? 

stjoespirit04

We each have a living will, which were both done through an attorney.  Copies are locked in a safe at his office.  We both did them when we got our life insurance.

stjoespirit04

Mames - you just have to find a lawyer who does wills and trusts... Your local yellow pages should pull up a few... or like, 1,000 if you live in a city lol

Kellybeth124

How much does something like that cost? I know areas are different, but ballpark? What about those living will fill in the blank deals that places like Staples and Office Depot sell? I suppose it's better than nothing but do they hold up in court when challenged?

chrissyvcm

We don't. I think at this stage in the game, we have a tendency to overlook the importance of such a thing.

H just added me to his his life insurance policy (after we got married). We talked about making me the sole beneficiary because all of his financial obligations will fall on me if anything should happen to him. When he updated it, he made me 50% beneficiary and the other 50% to his parents (whom he's not close to at all). Logically, I know it's completely biitchy/shallow/greedy of me, but my first instinct was to feel jipped! (sp?) Right now we don't own a home so 50% would be more than plenty to cover his current financial obligations. When we buy a house though, we may have to have a little sit-down. Am I wrong for thinking this way?

mamie329

C, same boat. I'm half of DH's beneficiary. The other is his mom. It annoys me, but whatever. Hopefully we have a few years to change that up. 

p.s. jipped is actually "gypped" -- racial slur against Gypsies. So, uh, don't use that expression in front of Gypsies, should you happen to know any.  

stjoespirit04

I don't generally trust ones you can buy in a kit because they can have a lot of loopholes.  Attorneys are brought in to keep from there being any loopholes haha...

I think ours cost somewhere around $1k, but the attorney I go to for everything I used to work for, and he charges by hour ($395/hr - lucky ba$tard) and that was him cutting off a big chunk of it since I knew him...

I know that most places will be less than that, but again, it's what I get for living in MA.

mamie329

stjoespirit04:

where around $1k, but the attorney I go to for everything I used to work for, and he charges by hour ($395/hr - lucky ba$tard) and that was him cutting off a big chunk of it since I knew him...

I know that most places will be less than that, but again, it's what I get for living in MA.

Holy sh*tballs. Can't I just write it on a napkin?  

shagadelk7

hey, I am a gypsy.

stjoespirit04

mamie329:

stjoespirit04:

where around $1k, but the attorney I go to for everything I used to work for, and he charges by hour ($395/hr - lucky ba$tard) and that was him cutting off a big chunk of it since I knew him...

I know that most places will be less than that, but again, it's what I get for living in MA.

Holy sh*tballs. Can't I just write it on a napkin?  

 Of course.  Napkins always hold up in court. Now, a paper towel, you're askin for trouble.

mamie329

Thanks for the legal advice, Walt.

p.s. Shag is a thread killer.  

Kellybeth124

A local law firm that I looked up has a pricing schedule:

• Simple Will - $200.00
• Will with Simple Trust - $300.00
• Power of Attorney - $100.00
• Living Will - $100.00
• Health Care Power of Attorney - $100.00
• Family Planning Package* - $600.00

*Package is for Husband and Wife and includes Will with Simple Trust for Husband and Wife, as well as mutual Powers of Attorney and Living Wills.

 

hawkilady

We dont have wills yet.  My life insurance policy is enough to pay off my mortgage should something happen and DH is the sole beneficiary.  His will cover funeral expenses plus his car and that's about it and I'm the sole beneficiary.  We've got each other marked as beneficiaries on 401k plans, etc. but havent really planned anything else yet. 

I figure we'll get these things all figured out when we have kids - I dont want to go to the expense of drafting one now when likely we'll have kids in the next 2 years and have to re-do it at that point for to choose/assign guardians. 

 I know my parents just re-did theirs last year (not sure if a re-do is cheaper but I'm guessing it is) and it only cost them $250.

barbnsteve

We do not have one...yet.  We had the discussion before we went on our honeymoon though and I feel like we need to.  I had this weird freak out before we left and called my Dad and filled him in on a bunch of info - all our bills, where we keep certain things, etc.  It made me realize that we do need to take care of this....just need to have the funds to do so as I know it is pricey!

raza13

i recently came across my dad's will (he just passed away) and it was done in 89 when i was 6. all it said was that my mom got all of his assets as well as financial obligations, and in the event my mom died while my brother and i were minors he gave my uncle guardianship. i think it is more useful if you have kids and/or a lot of assets you want to disperse. otherwise the beneficiary info in a life insurance policy, 401K etc should be good enough.

Kellybeth124

Wills aren't just about assets though. I'm guess I'm as interested in a will as I am a living will with directions for my health should I become incapacitated or my final wishes should I pass away.

mamie329

Kellybeth124:

Wills aren't just about assets though. I'm guess I'm as interested in a will as I am a living will with directions for my health should I become incapacitated or my final wishes should I pass away.

 This exactly. I've seen too many medical dramas where living will directives come in handy.  

sarajoy12345

We don't have wills, but are just getting our life insurance finalized.  We are each other's 100% beneficiaries, and my secondary is my brother and his secondary is his brother (until we have kids).  I figure our parents can take care of themselves and they will likely go before us.

Ryan&Kristin062009

We don't have wills as of yet (will make them when we have children) but god forbid one of us were to die, it would be the other to have final say on arrangements.  Family wouldn't step in. We took out life insurance once we built our home over 2 yrs ago, so that's set.