Winston-Salem Wills for Heroes Jan. 31

Article Date: Monday, December 01, 2008

Written By: Russell Rawlings

The NCBA Young Lawyers Division has scheduled its sixth Wills for Heroes event in Winston-Salem on Saturday, Jan. 31. The event will take place at Forsyth Technical Community College, located 2100 Silas Creek Parkway, in Hauser Hall.

The Wills for Heroes program will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m.; final appointments will begin at 4 p.m.

Licensed N.C. attorneys are needed to draft the wills. No prior estate planning background is required to serve as a volunteer. Notaries, witnesses, and people to help entertain the children of first responders are also needed.

Wills for Heroes provides free essential estate planning documents including wills and powers of attorney to first responders including policemen, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

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.

“We would like everyone to volunteer all day, if possible, but we appreciate any time that you can volunteer,” said Susan Upton Finch, co-chair of the YLD Wills for Heroes Committee.

Volunteers from previous Wills for Hero Events are urged to note the new scheduling options. Individuals who can only volunteer for part of the day should indicate whether they will volunteer during the morning session (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) or the afternoon session (12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.) Similarly, volunteers should also indicate their intentions to volunteer the entire day.

Training for this event is scheduled at 9 a.m. for all day or morning session and 12:30 p.m. for afternoon session. The one-hour orientation program includes about 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 & estates, please let us know if you would be willing to help with the training,” Finch said. “In addition, if you are experienced in the area of trusts & estates, you will serve as a floater during the actual event to answer any questions that the other attorneys drafting the wills may have.”
 
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); and

(2) Protecting Your Assets: Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney (http://www.ncbar.org/public/publications/pamphlets/protectingYourAssets06.pdf).
 
“As you can see, there is plenty to do and we need as much help as possible,” Finch added.  “If you know anyone else who is willing to volunteer for this event, including non-attorney staff members at your work or your friends, please have them send an e-mail to sections@ncbar.org.

“If you need to speak directly to a person, contact Jacquelyn Terrell at the NCBA at jterrell@ncbar.org. Please indicate in your e-mail if you are a licensed N.C. attorney, your N.C. State Bar #, if you are a notary, whether you have estate planning experience and the amount of time that you are available to volunteer.” 

Additional questions should be directed to Susan Upton Finch at Vetro & Lundy, P.C., 828-265-3001, or sfinch@vetrolaw.com.