It’s winter in Canada.
That means snowstorms, ice storms, frozen pipes, and hibernation for me.
I work from home so staying inside all day is not new, but I’ve hit a new level of hibernation. There are days I haven’t left my house at all and there are pros and cons to that.
Cons: I haven’t seen my friends in a few days.
Pros: I’ve been saving money by eating at home and I’ve been checking things off my to-do list at record speeds.
I’ve painted my dining room table, redone my room, cleaned out my closets, and most recently, I FINALLY completed my will.
I’m still young- only 27- but I have accumulated assets that need to find their way to someone when my time on earth is done.
Why now?
I started thinking about my will when I bought my house in 2016. I was 24, single, and wondered who my house would go to when I died. Naturally, I just assumed it would go to my parents and they’d figure out what to do with everything.
I assumed they would deal with my money, my body, my accounts, and everything I left behind.
Over the summer, my grandmother passed away. My mom dropped everything she was doing and flew to Mexico. She left everything behind to care for my grandma’s affairs for a month.
It took a toll on her, and it will take a toll on anyone put in the position.
That was a little more motivation to take action and get my will done so I looked into lawyers and online platforms but still didn’t take action.
There was always something holding me back.
- Not enough “time”.
- Didn’t really care.
- Didn’t want to go to the hassle of re-doing a will when I get married/have kids.
The list was endless.
During the recent polar vortex and an especially cold day, I finally bit the bullet. I had tried an online platform before and left it incomplete when I needed some paperwork I didn’t want to go look for.
On February 4th, 2019, 2.5 years after I wanted to make a will, I finally completed it using Willful.
who should make a will?
I used to think wills for only for old people with a lot of money. After a series of events, I realized wills are for anyone (over 18 years old), I also learned about Power of Attorneys.
A Power of Attorney for Property and a Power of Attorney for Personal Care –
also known as a living will – are both designed to be acted on while you’re still alive, for example if you are in an accident and not able to make decisions for yourself or your property. By creating those documents, you appoint someone else to act on your behalf. A will, on the other hand, doesn’t take effect until you pass away. [Source: Willful]
One of the main reasons I wanted to make a will was to have a plan for my family of what to do when I died. I didn’t want them to argue or guess what I would have wanted. I didn’t want to add more stress to their life, especially in a time where they will be grieving.
If I died without a will, my family would be dealing with my “estate” (all my riches and possessions) and they’d have to choose someone to take the lead. They would have to decide whether I wanted to be cremated or buried. They wouldn’t know that I actually want to be turned into an eco-urn!
Without a will, my family would have to figure out when to pull the plug if I was in a vegetative state. They may not all agree on the suitable time. But I’ve outlined what I want.
Without a will, my family would have to figure out how to divide my money and who gets my house.
I searched a few online platforms and decided to give Willful a try. After the initial questionnaire, I opted for the Premium Plan
This plan includes a Last Will and Testament, and Powers of Attorney for Personal Care and Property, or Enduring Power of Attorney
What that means is that this plan will take care of my
- my estate
- my final wishes
- as well as planning for an emergency
One of the things that drew me into this platform was that all plans come with unlimited changes and it was a savings of $450 compared to working with a lawyer!
There are simpler options and more complex ones too depending on your life situation.
After I completed my will, I got a special discount code to Willful to share with my friends! Use code AMBITIOUS10 to get 10% off any Willful plan.
Or use this link https://willful.co/refer/IL3XBG
Is this legal?
I did a ton of research on online wills and I concluded they’re legit. Feel free to do your own research obviously but I trust Willful’s team of Legal Advisors.
In traditional wills, lawyers review everything and make the will air-tight so people can’t argue it. But if you’re not a multi-millionaire with multiple ex-wives, step-kids, business interests and jets, an online will should be fine.
What are the steps to complete a will?
Step 1: You make an account. Willful asks you a few basic details like your name, location, and marital status so they can recommend the plan that’s right for you.
Step 2: Once you select a plan, the software guides you through questions about your beneficiaries (people you are leaving behind), funeral preparations, and other end-of-life preferences, compiling your answers into a document that’s ready for your review. You can edit, update, or add information at any time.
Step 3: Once your document is complete, review it, print it, and have it signed on the dotted line to make it legally binding. Make changes at any time for free to keep your will current.
Once you’ve completed your will, you pay!
That’s right, you go through the entire process and PAY AT THE END. So if you don’t like it, don’t pay for it.
The entire process took me under 10 minutes and I didn’t have to leave my house or look for any documents. If you’re ready to get this out of the way and set out guidelines to help the people you love, give it a try today.
Use code AMBITIOUS10 to get 10% off any Willful plan.
