Written A Last Will And Testament
"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
On the day before my birthday, I decided it would be a good time to consider what I leave behind. Though I believe life does not end when we die, I thought it might be a good thing to think about what I'd want to do with my worldly possessions and what I'd want done with my remains. It seems a bit morbid, but I view tomorrow as the mark of a new beginning, making today the end of what I would consider a wonderful 33rd year of life.
Writing a will was a bit of a process, but there are a ton of resources online. Here's one of the ones I used: How To Write A Will
Going into working on this document, I knew nothing of the parts, so here's how it broke down:
- Title of the document (including my name and address)
- 1) Declaration - This is my will, and it supersedes any previous will.
- 2) Family Details - This is where I specifically declared J's name as my spouse.
- 3) Appointment of Directors - This is where I name one or more executors.
- 4) Bequests - This is where I specifically declare certain property of mine to go to specific people.
- 5) Remaining Property - This is where I declared what happens to all other property.
- 6) Alternate Beneficiaries - In the event that my beneficiary also dies, I specified an alternate.
- 7) Special Requests - This is where I described what I want to be done with my remains.
- 8) General - This is a little bit of lawyer speak, followed by the space for my signature.
- 9) Witness Signatures - By law I'm required to have the signatures of two witnesses that do not benefit from my will and can vouch that they believe I am of sound mind.
Now that the document is drawn up, I need two things to make it a totally legal document: the witnesses and a notary public.
Like I said it may seem a bit morbid to consider my mortality, but what I actually felt when making this document is gratitude. I am so blessed to have people in my life that I feel close enough to bequeath things to. I would tell you what I wrote, but I don't want to spoil the ending.
Online resources:
Quick & Legal Will Book
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