do you have a will?

[leo1]

i know most sportswriters (or, like me impoverished law school grads staring at a mountain of debt) don't have a lot of assets, but do you have a will? if you have one, at what point in your life did you make one (when you got married, when you had a kid, when you saw a friend die without one?)

it sucks to think about your death and what will happen to those you leave behind, but i'm studying wills today (for the bar exam) and thinking that if nothing else, learning about all that can happen if you don't plan for your future has convinced me to make a will so we have one once our future kid is born in the fall.

it also seems like it would be smart to talk to some relatives about who would raise the kid if my wife and i died and the kid lived.

 

[Platyrhynchos]

No. I have no family to speak of (two brothers).
I know I should have one, but I don't.

 

[SoSueMe]

Death doesn't scare me. I think about it all the time. I'm actually counting down to when I think I will die. No lie. I'm more scared of the potential act(s) leading up to death (i.e. burning, drowning, not being able to be rescued from some horrible accident). But the thought of me actually being dead doesn't concern me nor does the thought of "how long do I have to live?" (I figure 31 years left). I just want it to be quick.

Anyway, I don't have a will. I should get one. I don't have life insurance either, which I should get.

I'm 31. When I was 29, I said I'd do all that - and get a full on physical - when I turned 30. Didn't happen. Now I say I'll do it when I get married - so early July.

But I'll probably put that off too - likely till when I have kids. Someone has to get my baseball cards and McFarlane figures.

 

[TwoGloves]

I don't even have a way.

 

[Dyno]

I'm 38 and single, and yes, I have one. I wrote mine 3 years ago, before I went in for a minor surgical procedure. I have a very small family and I wanted to make sure that my closest friends get some of my possessions. I actually asked them what they wanted before I wrote the will.

It was upsetting to think about, but it's comforting to know that it's taken care of. There have been some nasty battles on both sides of my family over estates and even though I don't have kids or that many assets, I felt it was important to write one.

I used some will writing program that I bought and it was very easy.

I'm always surprised when people with kids don't have wills or haven't made written provisions for their kids.

 

[EStreetJoe]

I've got a will and its been changed since I first wrote it.
I first had one written six years ago after my father died. Just had a new one drawn up last year after I got married.

 

[kingcreole]

I need to get my will done. I have it mapped out, just need to get 'er done.

I have a stepdaughter who I'm pretty much raising without consistency from her father, and I'd like to leave stuff for her if I go, but it can't be left for her until she's 18 because then her father can get it. I have told my brother he'll be in my will for certain stuff that'll be his and other stuff that'll be for StepPrincessCreole, and he understands that.

 

[leo1]

I have a stepdaughter who I'm pretty much raising without consistency from her father, and I'd like to leave stuff for her if I go, but it can't be left for her until she's 18 because then her father can get it.

king, in your will you can establish a trust with her as the sole beneficiary. just appoint someone you trust like your brother as trustee so that if she comes to the trustee asking for, say $37,999, the price of a new boat, you know it's for the dad, and the trustee refuses to give it to her (the rules of the trust might limit the expenses for things like her education or whatnot). if she comes to your brother and says she needs money for books, tuition, a new bike, soccer uniform, summer camp, etc., then the trustee can take care of those expenses directly if the trust is set up to allow that sort of thing.

(of course this is just a general example...an estate planning lawyer can set this kind of thing up for you)

 

[micropolitan guy]

We have a living trust. When one of us croaks, there's no probate or anything because the assets are in both names. If we both go together there's no long-and-dranw-out process, everything is all set up.

You'd better be sure about your home life when you write one up because the other half also has the power to pull the plug if you're on life support.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I don't have one. Then again, I'm single with no kids, no siblings and no cousins.

My parents will get my work-provided life insurance and, as of right now, I have enough stowed away to keep them from having to dig in their pockets for anything should something happen.

 

[John]

I should, but I don't. That might be a project for this summer.

Can I leave all my assets to SportsJournalists.com, to be dispersed at Moddy or Webby's discretion?

 

[EStreetJoe]

I should, but I don't. That might be a project for this summer.

Can I leave all my assets to SportsJournalists.com, to be dispersed at Moddy or Webby's discretion?

I say its dispersed to them for all they do to keep this site running and to pay our web hosting services for however many years the money lasts..

 

[Lone_Star_Speed]

I don't have one. I don't really see the need as nothing will be left when Ragnarok occurs.

 

[Moderator1]

I don't. I should. Though I don't really have much and I want the wife and kids to get it all anyway. Except for two pieces of jewelry that belonged to my dad. I want my brothers to have them.

 

[ADifferentOkie]

I don't have a will but I am planning to do one soon. I saw that Quicken has a will program. Anyone know anything about it?
I do have life insurance and I will always have that. My father-in-law passed away without it a few years ago and it REALLY left his wife in a bind.
Under no circumstance will I ever do that to my family. The most important thing that I can do for the rest of my life is to make sure that my family is taken care of. Even if I have to give up a few things to make that monthly payment, it will ALWAYS be paid.
I would encourage the rest of you to take that attitude. You'll feel better about yourself and your family's future when you do.
Now I just need to get the will taken care of...

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I don't have a Will, but I have a Sam and a Mike ... we play a 5-2 ... Oh, wait ...

The only way I'm playing is at middle linebacker. Period.

 

[Clever username]

leo1, are you just trying to drum up some business?

And sportschick can have my Batman T-shirt.

 

[93Devil]

As soon as I got hitched we got one.

 

[User 1019]

I have one. Uncle Sugar made sure of that looong ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you're married or have children. You MUST have a will AND insurance. Please. Take care of your families.

 

[Write-brained]

I have one. Uncle Sugar made sure of that looong ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you're married or have children. You MUST have a will AND insurance. Please. Take care of your families.

Won't my wife just automatically take over my estate? It's probably a good idea. We did ask someone to take care of our daughter in case something were to happen to both of us but I think we've since changed our minds. We might want to get that down in writing.