I was not asked to write this post, but I HIGHLY recommend the services provided by a past sponsor of ours…Wills by Waybridge. Let me tell you why!
My husband and I went on our first kid-free trip together last month (!!) and had yet to put together a Will. Yes…we were those people. Six years into parenting and we had yet to ensure provision for our children in the event of something happening to us. And it wasn’t something we hadn’t discussed on a semi-regular basis, just something we had never gotten to. And yes, I know how terrible that sounds! Obviously providing that security is incredibly important – you never know when something could happen, and more often than not you can’t plan for it. Even though it’s SO important, finding a way to make it work into your budget can be tough and even though it’s impossible to think of people that are “good enough” to care for your children, you’d rather be the ones to choose than have it up to courts or otherwise if you were to pass away unexpectedly. Our health insurance provided for a “will” but it essentially looked like a mad libs activity and definitely didn’t give me the confidence that my kiddos would be well cared for.
Enter WillsbyWaybridge.com. First of all, you can do this from home, so we’re already winning. Second of all, the process was really smooth, easy to figure out and easily directed. Third, though you work through it all online, then follow it up with signatures in front of witnesses and a notary, it’s just as solid as the same product you’d get for four-five times the money if you went into an attorney’s office, because the documents ARE prepared by an attorney.
So, how does it work? Head to their website and choose the plan that works for you – most likely, the section for Families. Once you’re there, it truly leads you through, question by question, until you’re finished, not allowing you to the next step until you’ve finished each section. For me, the most important parts were making sure those responsible for our kids and their needs and finances were secure and it absolutely did that.
After you complete the online questionnaire, A WillsbyWaybridge attorney reviews all of your answers and information and prepares your Will, health care directive, and power of attorney that is, again, exactly the same as what you’d get if you sat in a lawyer’s office to walk through this process. They then send you the documents, you make sure all is what you expected, and you follow the instructions for signing them in front of witnesses and a notary.
So, what if your assets aren’t so simple? Some may take more work than this, but for me, I needed one little addition to cover my business that I wasn’t able to do in the questionnaire. I simply followed up by email and asked for it to be added in with my preferences on what should happen to it and the attorney answered my questions and added a section into the Will for it.
When all is said and done, I’m thrilled with it. The document is solid – it’s easy to tell because it’s lengthy (not a one-sheet mad libs), detailed and very clear that there will be no questions as to our wishes, especially when it comes to our sweet kiddos.
Once you have that green WillsbyWaybridge folder, make sure you put it somewhere safe and then tell family members from each side where they can find it, and if you feel comfortable, tell a few family members what to expect in regards to your wishes for your children and your assets.
We were able to leave for our trip, still nervous because I’m that mom, but with a huge weight off of our shoulders, knowing we’d done everything we could to take care of them “just in case.”
