A friend of mine has four children; the oldest is a girl of fifteen years of age. The family had decided to visit relatives this one Sunday, but the oldest girl stayed home so that she could attend a church youth meeting. This meant she was home alone, but really not in danger. The danger was faced by the rest of the family.

On the way home the family was cut off by a speeding driver and their van went out of control and rolled over several times. Luckily no one was seriously hurt and all were able to return home. But here is the scary part.

If the family had been killed in that auto accident, the girl would have been a subject of the state, or Child Protective Services.

Now, the state makes the effort to place a family child with the family relatives care and this is fine in some cases. But, the child may not like the appointed guardians, her family may not have been on speaking terms with the guardian family, and the social and moral teachings of the guardian family may not have been condoned by the child’s family.

So without a Will left by the parents, the decisions of the state is final. However, if her family had taken the time and effort to have a planned Will in place, the girl would have been placed with a guardian of their choice and one the girl liked and whose family teachings would have been the same.

Only 3 out of 10 families have a Will in place. Why? First, families seem to ignore the fact that anything drastic could happen.  But it does. Traffic accidents kill thousands each year. Heart attacks kill men and women without warning, and are now the leading causes of death.  Anything can happen at any time.

Secondly, most people feel they can’t afford the high cost of having an attorney create a Will for the family. Wills can be very expensive, especially if large families or versified investments and real estate are involved.

But there is an answer. Members of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. can have an attorney created personal Will for both parents, A Living Will, and Health Care power of attorney at no extra cost than the monthly membership. If you can afford a cup of coffee a day, you can afford this fabulous membership which protects you and your family with everyday legal life events. For more information at no obligation, call Rose Marie at 361-815-9210