Host: One of workshops, speaking seminars, lot of speaking engagements, what do you find, I’m sure that, you know, when you finish, you speak to someone who have attended, what do you find in the general questions, is something that they just, you would think that they would know more about but they don’t, or coming concern?
Ann Marie: I think the coming concern lately, believe it or not, is contesting wills; and then people are really out there and that was the last time that we already did, that’s just seems to be the big attack
Host: How do I contest or how d I keep, okay
Ann Marie: How do I contest it, what do I need to do, I’m not satisfied with the way it was set-up and, you know, that I was only left to certain portion or it wasn’t left enough and I think a lot of people are so misguided at the fact that just because you have a relationship with the person, it’s just because the person tells you, “I love you very much and I want to leave you everything”; if you are not next on line together and that person passes away with no will, you’re not going to receive it. We have a situation in the office that one of the personal entry cases, where this man passed away and he has no family that we know of, except the best friend and his daughter; and the best friend’s daughter called us up and says, you know, “ I was supposed to be getting my father’s supposed to be getting everything, but we got a letter from you asking for the relatives and stuff, there’s only one relative, it’s the brother who never comes around and I’m not giving you his name; and he never was there, he never came to the funeral, we don’t know where he’s located, but we’re supposed to get everything”. That’s the big, you know, big thing that people just don’t understand that, I understand he wanted to leave you everything but unfortunately the lawyer said something that mostly different, and unless he left you a will, and unless you have the will without seething inside the will, we need to find his brother.
Host: Amazing, that’s so simple to not have that problem of will, just have the piece of paper and state your intentions
Ann Marie: Yeah, and that’s all we have to do
Host 2: And in the (--) you really don’t know someone till you have to share in the arrogance with them
Ann Marie: And I think, with a lot of even husbands, wives and children, you know everyone just assumes that, I hate to use that word, but that, the husband’s going to get everything; and there are a lot of husband and wives out there, especially nowadays that do not have joint accounts. And if you’re one of the beneficiaries on that accounts, you are not entitled to the whole 100%, I mean, there’s some legal issue in there that you work around with the law, the first 50,000, etcetera, etcetera, but your children can be inheriting part of this part of this estate, just stress the will. Just stress the will, and settle everything
Host: Why do some people don’t have wills? Or most people who need them?
Ann Marie: Who need them or just to have one
Host: Why do you think there’s always this person say, let’s say a couple in their 30’s to have a couple of small, you know, young children, and they don’t want, they were in their 30’s, why will we have a will?
Ann Marie: Two biggest things: one, I don’t think I have enough money to let you to draft the will, and two, nothing bad is going to happen to me.
Host: Not for a long time
Ann Marie: Right
Host: It’s not an issue right now in my life
Ann Marie: And you know, after 9-11, we were, you know, I kind of thought that a lot of eyes are going to open up and a lot did, see to, that it can happen to anybody; young, old, or it can happen to anybody, but I just think people just don’t see the big picture and the biggest thing that you’ve got with people with young children is, “oh, don’t worry, my mother will take the children”, meanwhile, the husband is sitting there going “what about my side?” and then they break, and then the fight starts, and if you think the fight’s happening now, could you imagine what would happen if God, they just pass away? Then you have it and do count in court, so it gets very sickly, which is worst thing for everybody.
Host: Ever we said to people whenever I come across somebody or a friend or you meet somebody in business that doesn’t have a will and they would say, you know, I don’t want to think about that. So you know, the beauty of it is, is once you have a will, you don’t have to think about it
Ann Marie: Right, right
Host: Until you have one, you’re always going to think about it, maybe we should have a will
Ann Marie: Well, I just, for a lot of my friends, to their christening presents, as I told them, when you’re ready, part of your present is I’m going to draft your will; and the first couple would like they can’t and then it was like this big thing, “what do you mean, you’re not going to draft my will for my christening (--), everybody wants that now cause they’ve realized they have a child, it doesn’t matter how much assets you have, you have a child, so get that guardian in place
Host: Absolutely.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services