Don’t Die Without A Will!
Dec 15th, 2007 by William Jones
It has been a year since my aunt past away at the age of 55 on December 15, 2006. For at least six months before her death she said she was working on her will on her computer. She told me and my other aunts that it would be outlined in the will that I would take care of all of her affairs and pay off her house. I spoke to her about a week before she past away.
Fast forward a year later…The house, safe deposit box, and computer were searched, but no will was found. Since there was no will, there was nothing that either I or my other aunts could do legally. My aunt’s daughter, who is in her mid twenties, went to jail for about six months or more and another aunt took care of her two young kids and the house.
When my cousin gets out of jail, she puts my aunt out after a short while and burns through over $100K of insurance money in just over a month (so I was told). She purchased expensive jewelry, big screen TV’s, and cars, but did not have them for long after someone broke into her apartment and stole everything. My cousin then tries to get to the $100K of insurance money that was left to her two kids, but my other aunt made sure it was put into a trust fund that they can’t get till they are 18. My cousin now gets some bank account information from a statement that had gone out before my aunt (who had taken care of her kids) had put in a change of address. I think my cousin gets about $20K or more before my aunt finds out and locks the account.
Since my aunt has past away, the police have gone to her house countless times. I saw paperwork that someone had put a bid in to buy her house and that it may be in pre-foreclosure. My cousin has no money and may soon have charges pressed against her for stealing money.
My aunt knew–as well as everyone else–that her daughter was not very responsible and could not properly take care of her affairs. But still, she procrastinated in getting a will. After all that has happened in the last year, I feel sad that my aunt did not have a will. Make sure you have a will so that the most important decisions of your life are carried out even after you are gone.
Create Your WILL at LegalZoom.com like I did. It took about 30 minutes and cost $69.00. A lawyer would charge you approximately $540.00 for this last will and testament, saving you $471.00!
If you don’t have a will, get one now! Don’t wait! Go to LegalZoom.com and Create Your WILL.
