before it is too late
by James Benfer
“ n p H u s saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for JL thou shalt die and not live” (Isaiah 38:1). Peter Marshall, the counselor of many in practical as well as spiritual matters, died intestate — without a Will. His widow, Mrs. Catherine Marshall, soon dis covered the maze of problems in settling her husband’s estate, modest though it was. Having thus experienced legal entanglements, heartaches and distressses, Mrs. Marshall not only had a lawyer make a W ill for her, but also began to urge others to do the same.* An estimate has been made that from 60 to 70 per cent of American citizens die without ever exercising one of their cherished inalienable rights . . . the right to have a W ill of their own. The laws of intestacy—dying without a W ill and depending upon the state to distribute your property—> *See book "How to Live Again" by Catherine Marshall. McGraw Hill Book Company, Incorporated. 22
vary from state to state. However, there are similarities. If there is no W ill drawn by an attorney, minor chil dren left without parents become wards of the Orphan’s Court and legal guardians must be appointed by the court to safeguard property left to the minors. In addi tion, bonds must be posted, lawyers hired and court fees paid. All this adds up to costly expenses to be paid in cash from the decedents’ estates. The common reason given for not making a W ill is that the estate is small or modest in value. This, how ever, is a fallacious reason. Add up the values of your estate including your life insurance and you will be surprised to learn that you are worth more than you realized with values running into thousands of dollars. Suppose, however, you have only $1.00! Should you now say that you don’t need a W ill? Definitely not! You do need a legally-drawn Will. You might be unfortunate enough to be killed in an accident where judgment is THE KING'S BUSINESS
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