Wills for Heroes Set Nov. 15 in Charlotte

Article Date: Saturday, November 01, 2008

Written By: Russell Rawlings

Volunteers are now being recruited for the next installment of the Wills for Heroes project of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, which returns to Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 15.

It was in the Queen City that this enormously successful NCBA YLD endeavor began last year.

Since then, outstanding programs have also been staffed by an army of NCBA volunteers in Cary, Salisbury and Greensboro who have provided pro bono assistance to more than 700 first responders. NCBA President Charles Becton has identified Wills for Heroes and the expansion thereof as a primary objective for 2008-09.

The Nov. 15 Wills for Heroes program will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charlotte Fire and Police Training Academy located at 1770 Shopton Road. The last appointment is scheduled for 4 p.m. No prior estate planning background is required to serve as a volunteer.

Click here for directions. This is the same location as the previous Wills for Heroes event in Charlotte which was held in conjunction with the 2007 ABA YLD Fall Conference.

Licensed N.C. attorneys are needed to draft the wills. First responders are provided with a questionnaire to fill out beforehand, and it corresponds with the fill-in-the-blank HotDocs software used to draft the estate planning documents.

North Carolina notaries, witnesses and people to help entertain the children of first responders also are needed. The YLD would like everyone to volunteer all day, if possible, but appreciates any time that volunteers can serve.

Training for this event is scheduled from 9-10 a.m. and involves 30 minutes of training on basic N.C. law regarding wills, and about 30 minutes of practicing on the computers using HotDocs software, in case there are any questions.  If you are a licensed attorney practicing in the area of trusts and estates, please contact Clark Walton via contact information provided below if you would be willing to help with the training.

In addition, if you are experienced in the area of trusts and estates, you may serve as a floater during the actual event to answer any questions that the other attorneys drafting the wills may have.

As you can see, there is plenty to do and we need as much help as possible. If you know anyone else who is willing to volunteer for this event, including non-attorney staff members at your work or your friends (especially N.C.-licensed notaries), please have them contact YLD staff liaison Jacquelyn Terrell at the NCBA at jterrell@ncbar.org, and have them specifically reference the Nov. 15, event in Charlotte as several such events are presently being planned.

Please also let Jacquelyn Terrell know whether you are (1) a licensed N.C. attorney or a notary or a law student, (2) whether you have estate planning experience, and (3) the amount of time that you are available to volunteer.

Additional questions should be directed to Clark Walton, YLD Wills for Heroes Committee co-chair:

Clark C. Walton
Mayer Brown LLP
214 N. Tryon St., Suite 3800
Charlotte NC 28202
Tel: (704) 444-3601 Fax: (704) 377-2033
cwalton@mayerbrown.com

Additional materials will be e-mailed to those who sign up to participate; however, prior to the event date it will also be helpful to review the following “This is the Law Pamphlets” available on the NCBA Web site:

(1) Living Wills and Healthcare Powers of Attorney:
http://www.ncbar.org/public/publications/pamphlets/livingWills06.pdf

(2) Protecting Your Assets: Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney:
http://www.ncbar.org/public/publications/pamphlets/protectingYourAssets06.pdf

Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit initiative developed by attorneys Anthony Hayes of South Carolina and Jeff Jacobson of Arizona after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide free estate planning documents to first responders through the Wills for Heroes Foundation.