Wills, Healthcare Directives And Powers of Attorney Lawyers
Serving Gwinnett County, Georgia & the Northeast Atlanta Area

If Not Now, When?

Most people know they need a will, but never get around to it. Don’t keep putting it off! You should prepare your Will and certain other vital documents while you are healthy, not under pressure, and thinking clearly.

You never know when you might have an unexpected severe auto accident, a sudden stroke, a heart attack, etc.. Just follow the obituaries in your local paper for a week or two, and notice how many people in your age bracket were buried during that time period. No doubt many of those people thought they had plenty of time to get around to it, too.

It is unkind to leave your survivors with a legal and financial mess because you passed away without making proper arrangements.

If You Were to Die without A Will . . .

• Your property and personal effects may not be divided the way you had intended.

• The Court may not place your children with the guardian of your choice, or may appoint someone you do not wish to have as your Executor.

• If you and your family were to all die in the same accident, your property could be taken by the state, whereas with a will it could have been left to a friend or a charity of your choice.

• You may be making it easier for an ex-spouse or some other relative(s) to waste or misuse insurance money or other assets you had intended to leave for your children.

• Your survivor(s) may have to pay bond premiums, and be required to make numerous unnecessary reportings to the Court to settle your affairs.

• You may be unnecessarily exposing your survivors to hefty estate taxes

What Is Included in The Complete Will Package?

Our complete will packages are quick, easy, thorough, and very reasonably priced. Your package will include the following six documents:

1. Your professionally produced LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, designed specifically for your particular personal and family situation.

2. A GEORGIA FINANCIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. This enables the person of your choice to pay your bills and legally handle your financial and business affairs if you were to be in a coma, in a serious accident, too ill to take care of things for yourself, etc..

3. A GEORGIA ADVANCE DIRECTIVE FOR HEALTHCARE with ANATOMICAL GIFT INSTRUCTIONS. This enables the person of your choice to make important medical decisions on your behalf, or carry out your instructions, if you are in a coma or unable to speak. Would you ever want them to discontinue life support machines? Discontinue intravenous food and water, or pain medication? At what point? This document also allows you to make your wishes clear as to whether you intend to donate any body parts for transplants to help the living after you pass away, and as to whether you wish to allow or require an autopsy after your decease. Settle these matters the way you want, now, while you are able to.

5. A detailed LAST WISHES AND FUNERAL INSTRUCTIONS form. This is separate from your Will, because it includes much information your survivors will need immediately after your death, such as: Would you prefer burial or cremation? Where? What kind of headstone or urn? What kind of funeral service, if any? Performed by whom? What kind of music, or church, or minister? Your survivors cannot honor your last wishes if they are not sure what they are. This fill-in-the-blanks form enables you to think through these and many other similar questions, and then leave this information for your survivors’ guidance.

6. A thorough INFORMATION FOR MY EXECUTOR AND HEIRS form. Where would your survivors find your insurance policies? Your safe deposit box key? Do they know where all your property, stocks, bonds, and checking and savings accounts are located? This fill-in-the-blank form ensures that such information is available after your decease.

What Will All of This Cost?

The prices listed below will apply for most people. However, if you have substantial assets or your situation requires more extensive estate planning and documents, other pricing may apply. Half is due when we begin to collect your information, and the other half is due at or before signing. Married Couple pricing includes two complete sets of all the above documents. The two sets may have similar or completely different provisions, according to the differing wishes and needs of you and your spouse.

So how Do I Get Started?

If you would like to get started now while you’re thinking about it, or if you have questions, just phone, or send an email to JJW@USA.net, enclosing one or more phone numbers and the best time to call to get the ball rolling. Unless you have an unusually large estate, in many cases we can collect all the necessary information and discuss your situation and wishes by e-mail and over the phone. When finished, you need to sign the papers with two witnesses and a notary present.