Do You Really Need a Will?

By Darrell Weiland, Director, Warm Beach Foundation

In the United States of America, we have laws. Throughout our lives, different laws apply to us at different times. Our birth is registered as required by law. As teens, we face consequences if we violate traffic laws. As adults, we comply with laws in regards to purchasing a home, paying taxes, and in many more of life’s activities. Most of our life is governed by law.

When we die, our life’s passing is noted through a death certificate and (if we have not planned properly) in the probate process. Even with a will, our estate will go through probate, which results in fees and delays in the disposition of our assets. But without a will, the state court will appoint someone to make all the decisions for us, often ignoring our important preferences.

Every person has the legal right to make a will. In a will, you include these details as appropriate:

• Executor – A trusted friend or relative who will carry out your wishes,

• Guardianship – Deciding who will serve as guardians of your minor children, and providing guidelines concerning how the children will be raised, and

• Bequeaths – Disposition of your accumulated wealth, to your beneficiaries & charities.Life involves a series of choices, and among the important choices we make is the use and disposition of what God has given us, recognizing that all we have truly comes from Him. This is called stewardship, the management of God’s resources.

What we do during our lifetime becomes a statement of our faith. Our will also serves as a final testimony of our faith-journey in life and gives direction as to how we want our property distributed. We exercise stewardship when we plan and write a will.

Good stewardship also recognizes that we can save both time and money through placing the assets God has given us in a trust. Trusts bypass the probate process and allow your estate to flow freely to your beneficiaries and charities.

Warm Beach Camp and Conference Center is now ready to offer assistance in preparing wills and estate plans through the Warm Beach Foundation. The Foundation provides an extensive resource to our donors through a wide array of services to assist them in better realizing their goals to give, providing for their family, preparing for the inevitable, and leaving a lasting legacy.

As the director of the Warm Beach Camp Foundation, I would be happy to meet with you for a no-cost, no obligation, consultation to explain your options and answer any questions you may have. You can reach me by calling (425) 308-6712. You can also send me an email.