For the third consecutive year, I had the honor and privilege of serving with the Young Lawyers Section of the Orange County Bar Association in the Wills For Heroes Event. For those of you that are unfamiliar, this event is geared towards assisting our brave men and women who serve the community as employees of our fire departments, sheriff’s offices and local police departments with the preparation of a last will and testament and other estate planning documents. The 220 service men and women that attended the event each left with a complete estate plan. This event has continued to grow each year and we enjoyed our greatest attendance this year. This estate plan was complimentary, because one of the key goals of the Wills For Heroes Event is to give back to those that serve our community with valor and courage.

For the men and women that risk their lives for us every day, this is the least we can do to show our gratitude and appreciation for their courage, bravery and sacrifice.

A surprising number of individuals, including our brave first responders, have never properly executed a will and even fewer have a well-reasoned estate plan.

One of the toughest emotional times in life is enduring the loss of a loved one. The difficulty of reconciling and coping with the loss is only exacerbated when we, as the surviving loved ones, have to sort out the wishes of the deceased, especially, when we have no document to offer us the guidance we require.

For those of you that are first responders, I trust that you will attend our event next year and get your estate planning documents in order; however, waiting until next April may not be in your best interest because circumstances can change every second. Please consider allowing us to assist in planning your departure. Let us help you leave the proper legacy to those you love.

For more information regarding your estate plan you can contact the law office of Schwam-Wilcox & Associates.