Have you heard about the Wills for Heroes program? I had the privilege of volunteering at a clinic recently in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
The program started after 9/11/2001 in South Carolina to assist first responders, military veterans and their spouses in preparing their basic estate planning documents at no charge. First responders include: police officers, firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics, corrections officers and spouses/widows or widowers of these personnel.
To be eligible an unmarried responder’s estate may not exceed $500,000, and married responder’s estates may not exceed $1,000,000.
Clinics are typically organized by county and state bar associations and held on Saturdays. These clinics are set up with a group of volunteer attorneys, paralegals and notaries to prepare and assist with the completion of the estate planning documents.
Responders will have a chance to review the basic estate planning documents and complete a questionnaire prior to their appointment at the clinic. This gives the responders time to make their important decisions with their family prior to the scheduled appointment.
After reviewing the documents and completing a questionnaire, the responder will then meet with a volunteer attorney at the clinic. In a confidential setting the attorney will meet with the responder and review the questionnaire while a paralegal completes the documentation with the attorney’s guidance. The documents are then printed, executed and notarized. The goal is to complete the estate planning package at the clinic.
These clinics are very popular, and most appointments are booked well in advance. You can find dates for upcoming clinics in Pennsylvania at Pennsylvania Bar Association’s website here.
If you are an attorney, paralegal or notary in Lancaster, PA reach out to your local bar association to volunteer. It’s a great way to give back to your community!
