Question:

Where can I get cheap help to write my will? I also want to know about survivor benefits for my wife. – Donald

Answer:

We like your thinking both about estate planning and taking care of your bride. Everyone should have a will as part of their basic estate planning documents which would also include durable powers of attorney for health care and finances, and a living will. These are basic documents that many attorneys could draw up. Or perhaps if you’re retired military, think about checking in with JAG. They might have the capacity to help.

If your situation is complex or you want to be walked through the process, enlisting the help of a qualified estate planning attorney may make a lot of sense. It may not be the cheapest option, but it could save heartache and headaches in the future for you and your loved ones.

If you’re having trouble finding an attorney, these referral services may be helpful:

www.lawyers.nolo.com
www.nationalbar.org
www.estateplanninglawfirms.com

On the other hand, for simpler situations there are a number of legal documentation services that you could utilize to prepare your estate documents:

www.legalzoom.com
www.nolo.com
www.legaldocs.com.

We can’t determine from the question what your wife is eligible for in terms of survivor benefits. Social Security comes to mind. You can learn more as far as survivor benefits for your wife at the Social Security website. Beyond that, it depends on whether or not you elected coverage through some sort of pension through a previous employer such as the military.