I am attempting to write on some of the general things I have endured or just ran into in my life. For general reasons, I am not trying to influence politics or religion. Just as Popeye said, "I Yam what I yam". I assume that you are what you yam and no amount of yamming it down your throat will change that.
Wills are the way you decide what the hell someone will do with the things you leave when you die. They can be as simple as everything goes to my spouse to directives that parcel out your things to your kids. You can buy a simple will writing program for about $40.00 or you can pay an attorney about $500 to a grand. Simple is easy and cheap, complicated costs more. You need a will, and I don't care who does it so long as it gets done. For example, when my Mom died, there was no question of how she was to be buried. She stated it in her will that a niece who worked for a funeral home would be in charge. She had even prepaid an insurance policy that covered the cost. From the get go, I said what I wanted done was what Mom wanted. She specified how her belongings were to be distributed and what to do with any residual income. There were some directed things such as I got the lamp my Dad made in Junior High wood shop and each sister and my brother got an item they had wanted. After the directed items were divided, the kids met and starting with the oldest, we selected an item in order until no one wanted anything else. There was a lot left over that got donated to the salvation Army and some that was sold and the money put into the estate. None of this was a big deal and it was handled in a way that helped us have time to mourn the loss of Mom without being mad at anyone else because someone got more than others. Like I said, simple is easy and cheap, complicated cost more.
By the Way, as a native Kansan, I am proud of the new Athletic Director KU hired. He has ties to Hays State, K-State and KU. From the newspaper article he even has driven from Dodge to Garden City. Heck, Lew Perkins hired a livery company to drive him to the Lawrence Airport to fly to Kansas City. It is great to see the face of KU become young men like Bill Self, Turner Gill and the new guy with the funny name. (Sheahon Zenger)
MUD
Many families are not as level headed as yours when it comes time to read the Will.
ReplyDeleteIn my former occupation, There were two sisters that ended up in the parking lot "duke'in it out" over the will! Seems someone always feel like they got "shorted!"
From the beginning, Mom's will was an attempt to say what Mom wanted and I kept the focus on that with the family. There was heavy emphasis on if you want to know what it says, ask Mom. I was a little pissed off when my sister asked Mom to change the will over a couple of minor points but then I just looked at it as what Mom wanted not what I wanted. In the long run, Mom didn't have millions or hardly thousands to worry over. I would have rather have gotten nothing than to have a fight. There are parents that try to make it all even steven between the kids when it really should be equal shares and let it be done at that.
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