Will Packet

Pierce County

Community Connections

The Importance of Your Will

Wills are important. Everybody ought to have a will. Even individuals with few assets and/or heirs should have a will. Een healthy people should have a will in place. Review your will regularly and make necessary revisions. Any revisions need to be entered into the will and registered properly. Improperly changing a will causes nothing but difficulties for survivors and decreases the chances that your wishes will be carried out. Consult an attorney competent in these matters. The ADRC staff can provide you with a list of elder law attorneys in Pierce County.

Making an organized ''Will Packet'' can provide your survivors with much of the detailed information that will be required. It will provide peace of mind in a very stressful time.

Contents of a ''Will Packet'':

Explanations of Durable Power of Attorney (POA), Guardianship, Health Care POA.
Name (and all contact information) of the executor(s) of your will.
Family history information. Include parents' and siblings' names, dates of birth & death, city / country of origin, employment, interesting stories, educational and military background and your own birth / marriage / employment history.
Your own and your family medical history.
Letter of instructions to family or friends. (if you have access to a video camera, this is a nice way to do it)
Funeral / burial instructions. If you have prepaid for services, or a plot, enclose information here.
Life insurance information (if you have a life insurance policy).
Bank accounts, other financial accounts.
Safe deposit box key & information.

Store your ''Will Packet'' in a very safe place. Make sure that your next of kin or your executor(s) knows its location and contents.

For additional information which describes wills, their purpose, processes involved with them, and other considerations, see the following website: www.washington-wills.com