Will — Husband wont act!
I am 73; husband 74; married 51 years. My husband refuses to create a will, give me burial instructions or discuss anything. As of now, we are healthy.. He has his police pension which will continue until we both die. I want to create a will mainly to make sure our kids get my instructions on what to do with my ancestors heirlooms and my many years of genealogical work . And maybe safeguard some $$ assets for the kids. We’re do I go? Listen to you on WGN. Thank you very much.
Terry Says
You can make your own will or revocable living trust. The only things you can’t distribute via this plan are assets held in joint name. That probably includes your house, but if it is in joint name and he predeceases you then you will own it – and can later add it to your will or trust.
In your own will, you can leave legal instructions about all those heirlooms you mentioned, as well as money that is in an account separately titled in your name (or the name of a trust you will create). Presumably half the money in your marriage (with the exception of money in a retirement account) is yours. So take the initiative to remove half of your joint savings and put it in an account in your name! (That might wake him up!)
You’ll need an estate planning attorney to guide you through the process of creating your own will or trust.
And you might want to read this column of mine to understand the difference.
To search for an estate planning attorney, you might ask an officer at your bank for some names. Or search the website of the National Assoc of Estate Planning Attorneys.
As a bonus, when your husband sees you doing all this, he might join in!
