Re: Speaking of wills

From: John Leipold <jleipol@ibm.net>
Subject: Re: Speaking of wills
Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 14:22:32 -0400

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> My husband and me -- both in our mid-30s -- have two preschoolers and
> are expecting a third child. We've some assets, though not a ton. We
> think it's time we did a will. Anyone have ideas on software that would
> allow us to do our own, customizing it to fit North Carolina law (our
> home state) so that it would be legally recognized should the need
> arise? Any recommendations appreciated.

Lisa & others:

It's not time; it's past time.

If you have children & don't have a will and you both die, then the
state assumes guardianship of your children and places them wherever the
judges decide. If you're comfortable with that, don't worry. Otherwise,
RUN, don't walk either to the nearest software shop or lawyer & get one
done.

A simple will, in which there are not a whole lot of assetts to divy up,
is not that expensive, even if done by a lawyer. In most states, all you
absolutely have to have is a statement of what you want, signed & dated,
with the signatures of two people who witnessed your signature. They
don't have to read any of the will; they only witness your signature.
Some states require three witnesses. Then file your will with the local
probate court, and your children have much more protection than they
currently have. You really don't even need a lawyer to do enough of one
to specify who gets what and who you would like to be your children's
guardian.

HOWEVER, such an informal document could only be considered a temporary,
stop-gap measure, to be used only until a more formal will can be done,
via lawyer or software.

Now, to specifically answer your question, I have used Parsons
Technology software for wills and other legal documents, and have been
satisfied. The software is called "Quicken Family Lawyer" and is
available on CD-Rom or 3 1/2" floppy. The cost is $34.95. Their phone
number is 800/223-6925 and their website address is
http://www.parsonstech.com (it can be downloaded from their site for
$29.95). I am not an employee, just a satisfied user of their products.

Big disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and my free advice may be worth no
more than you paid for it, etc etc yadda yadda yadda

Good luck!
John Leipold




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