Mother is 90 and has finally decided she needs a will and POA. She owns small, older home, but has little income other than widow SSI. Are there free legal services?
Are there free attorney services or assistance she can use to get these documents drawn up? She lives in Jefferson County, AL.
Ummm. Why a thirty minute consultation on a will and/or POA? Is there someplace that you have to be? No problem with these pre-printed templates as long as no one challenges or contests the will after you're gone.
We found a DPOA form online for Fla for my mom dad and sis. Filled it out, took it to their bank (bank of America), had it signed and notarized and witnessed right there. Then the bank told us they would not accept it. Then we sent it to senior services for assistance and they said it was invalid because the document was missing verification of I'd for them and something called jurist verification or something. The we tried to get pro bono help from senior,legal services and they wouldn't even talk or return my calls. So in fla, at least, senior services are anything but helpful and there is no,where to,turn..every attempt to get help,from every agency has been a dead end. My parents are in their 80's and not well and from what I see, fla IS NOT the place to retire as they have unfortunately found out. Now they are to sickly to come home to MA
Making sure any of your "freebies" are relevant to your State, is VERY important--AND that those sites have been recently updated--some have really old data on them!! Generics are OK, but may not suffice for many people, for varying reasons. [Like: the more, & more valuable the estate, the more complicated the will, generally.]
Contact your nearest "Area Agency on Aging" office. ...they exist in most all Counties. They often, or most, have at least one day per week where volunteer lawyers offer appointments to elders & their caregivers or family members, to help guide them how to handle legal issues. Usually, those appointments are 1/2 hour. SOMEtimes, the lawyer at the appointment specializes in other things, so refers you elsewhere. Sometimes, there is a long waiting list to get one of these appointments.
Many private lawyers offer free 1/2 hr. consults, too. Some folks make a questions list, get answers from one free visit, other questions answered from other free visits, then make a free appointment to get the paperwork done--or at least, put everything together to make it as low-fee'd as possible.
Put a good list of questions together for that appointment: --can you help us make a POA in 1/2 hour? --can you help us make a modest will in 1/2 hour? --can you help us_________? --can I return to finish this at Area Agency on Aging legal appointment? Answers will come fast; some answers will be like herding cats--almost impossible to see how that answer fits your question, leading to more questions, getting side-tracked from your list!
The better, more thorough your question list, the better help you will glean from the appointment. The more to-the-point the questions are, the more likely to get clear answers in shorter time.
Please speak w/a lawyer. My mom's lawyer just notified us that IL changed some laws pertaining to POA's effective January 2013 so we now have an updated POA for mom. This is why speaking w/a lawyer is important so everything you do follows the current laws in your state (AL) and not a generic form. Sorry I don't have any info for you about AL wills or POA laws.
I wrote my father's will from a free template on the internet. If you go the online route, I would suggest you define your search by the state in which your mother resides because statutes can vary from state-to-state. Your mother would need to sign the document in front of witnesses and a notary. Also, as I learned from experience, wills can only be signed while the individual is mentally competent. A POA cannot sign someone's will on their behalf.
Hubby and I were very happy with Legal Zoom online when we did our will. Super easy step-by-step questions if you help her and good reviews. Also have various other legal docs like the POA.
My husband and I used Quicken WillMaker Plus 2013 Software (~$30 on Amazon) to write up a Durable Power of Attorney and Will for his Aunt. It includes several estate planning forms that can be modified to your situation with thorough instructions. Luckily, we have an attorney in our extended family. He reviewed the documents before they were signed. We had a notary public present during the signing of the documents. Some states require two witnesses, that are not blood related to you, to sign the Durable Power of Attorney. Our state does not require the witnesses but for safe measure and to provide extra proof of the signed documents, we added the 2 witness signatures to the Durable Power of Attorney while the Notary Public was present. We also used a notary public of a friend of a friend to keep cost down.
You could always use the forms and write up the documents yourself and then have a lawyer just review the documents to cut the cost of your lawyers fees. Also, if you do not feel comfortable using the template form, I would recommend that you contact your state, county, or local bar associations, or your local county clerk for a list of pro-bono lawyers in your area. Also, you can try a legal aid society/foundation in your area for free or low cost legal services. ---Good Luck!--
There sure are. First, I would visit your local Office of the Aging. They would know of any pro-bono attorneys in the area or legal services you could access.
Then check your local Lions Club. They would probably know as well.
After my mother went on Medicaid I found a local law college through my Office of the Aging that helped me to get her credit card debt forgiven.
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Generics are OK, but may not suffice for many people, for varying reasons.
[Like: the more, & more valuable the estate, the more complicated the will, generally.]
Contact your nearest "Area Agency on Aging" office.
...they exist in most all Counties.
They often, or most, have at least one day per week where volunteer lawyers offer appointments to elders & their caregivers or family members, to help guide them how to handle legal issues.
Usually, those appointments are 1/2 hour.
SOMEtimes, the lawyer at the appointment specializes in other things, so refers you elsewhere.
Sometimes, there is a long waiting list to get one of these appointments.
Many private lawyers offer free 1/2 hr. consults, too.
Some folks make a questions list, get answers from one free visit, other questions answered from other free visits, then make a free appointment to get the paperwork done--or at least, put everything together to make it as low-fee'd as possible.
Put a good list of questions together for that appointment:
--can you help us make a POA in 1/2 hour?
--can you help us make a modest will in 1/2 hour?
--can you help us_________?
--can I return to finish this at Area Agency on Aging legal appointment?
Answers will come fast; some answers will be like herding cats--almost impossible to see how that answer fits your question, leading to more questions, getting side-tracked from your list!
The better, more thorough your question list, the better help you will glean from the appointment. The more to-the-point the questions are, the more likely to get clear answers in shorter time.
You could always use the forms and write up the documents yourself and then have a lawyer just review the documents to cut the cost of your lawyers fees. Also, if you do not feel comfortable using the template form, I would recommend that you contact your state, county, or local bar associations, or your local county clerk for a list of pro-bono lawyers in your area. Also, you can try a legal aid society/foundation in your area for free or low cost legal services. ---Good Luck!--
Then check your local Lions Club. They would probably know as well.
After my mother went on Medicaid I found a local law college through my Office of the Aging that helped me to get her credit card debt forgiven.