Hello all! My husband and I need to create a will and figure out how to write up guardianship for our daughter. I don't even know what I need or how to start. Are there Laywers out there that can walk you through everything step by step or do I have to figure it out independently and go to them for finalization? Any help would be appreciated. I am looking for advice, books or referrals to anyone who assisted you during this oh so fun project.
Thanks for your help.
You can buy a software program called Will Maker. It will walk you through everything to draw up a Will, Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Directives and Final Arrangements.It's pretty technical but it explaines everything. You will then have to have the forms notorized. Hope this helps.
My husband is working with our attorney now in regards to trusts and wills to help his ill mom get her papers together. Might I recommend Tom Sammons in Palatine for your needs. We've worked with him for many years with Real estate, and now with wills and trusts.
He's excellent
502 N. Plum Grove Palatine IL 60067
###-###-#### ____@____.com
My sister told me about a GREAT site at www.legacywriter.com.
We did our will through them over 3 years ago now. I want to say it was $50 or $60 only since you are not working with a lawyer. You write in everything like guardianship for your kids, power of attorney, and whatever else you choose...however specific you want to go with things. Then after you tell all the information, it prints it out into a long legal document. Then you sign it with your witnesses and can get it notarized and all that. So it's a very inexpensive way to have that legal document particularly for guardianship of the kids was our biggest concern. We kept ours pretty basic, though paid like $5 more for the ability to change things how we wanted anytime over the following 5 years.
We wanted to do that knowing we'd have another child in that time, though the document does say that it includes future children, as I recall. So if you are going pretty basic as we were, I think it's a great way to go. Hope this helps.
The best thing to do is find an Estate Planning Lawyer, they deal with all the legal wording, although going to a lawyer is expensive. (I would know, I work for an Estate Planning Lawyer). You would think it would be all about Wills, but you also have powers of attorneys, living will declarations, etc.
There is a lot more to consider. I asked him about books and he said he will let me know. I will write to you personally to get you this information. I know we don't plan on stuff happening to us, but you never know, so I understand.
I heard in IL you HAVE to have a judge sign it (not just notorized) or it doesn't stick (?)
It is so great that you are being so prepared. We did all of that with the help of our attorney in Naperville. His name is Win Wehrli. He's terrific. Best of luck!
Definitely an estate attorney will help and talk about not just a will but setting up a "trust".
A.
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Great Mom home business
http://www.kidspartybusiness.com
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Hi S. -
I live in Lisle and we just redid our wills, created a minors trust and established guardians and trust executors.
I used a wonderful lawyer in Lisle named Zachary Lawrence. No frills and no BS. Another lawyer was trying to sell us a "living trust" for our son -- with current caps on what you leave your children -- there was no need. If the law changes and brings it back down to $600K, then yes. But for now at $3million -- a trust for a minor upon our death was enough. A main guardian and trust executor was named and then secondary ones as well. Suze Orman wrote a simple book on Wills and Trusts which helped us alot to learn the basics. Our son is a special needs boy so we established a special needs trust as well. Hope this helps!! Good luck.
S.
Lisle, Illinois
