What's the origin of the phrase: "Miracles will never cease." [more inside]
posted by Blackwatch on Dec 11, 2009 - 9 answers

Both of my wife's parents died. Her dad first in January, now her mom in September. My wife is the oldest child. No will was left. What do we do? [more inside]
posted by Bageena on Nov 18, 2009 - 24 answers

If person A leaves something of value to person B in their will, with the stipulation that it be left to person C if B should predecease A, what happens if A & B die semi-simultaneously [say both are in the same car accident] and it can't be determined who died first? [more inside]
posted by HiroProtagonist on Oct 13, 2009 - 13 answers

My dad's accounts are designated POD (payable on death) to me. Is that overriden by his listing of those accounts in his total assets, which his will divides among me and others, and which will is going to take some time to execute? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 10, 2009 - 6 answers

Received a bequest that apparently has strings attached. Is this possible, and if so, is it enforceable? [more inside]
posted by arnicae on Sep 3, 2009 - 11 answers

Got any tips for creating a will for new parents? [more inside]
posted by madajb on Aug 18, 2009 - 10 answers

What does Daniel Plainview tell Eli in There Will Be Blood? [more inside]
posted by jakubsnm on Jul 25, 2009 - 11 answers

can i write a valid, effective will without a lawyer? are there helpful, free models?
posted by LittlePumpkin on Jul 11, 2009 - 12 answers

My (estranged) father just died. I don't know if he left a will. What are my next steps? [more inside]
posted by haplesschild on Jun 8, 2009 - 18 answers

Does the order matter when a will is witnessed and notarized? [more inside]
posted by raisingsand on May 6, 2009 - 8 answers

Say one wanted to have their skeleton preserved and mounted and left to your next of kin after death how would you do it? -rather gruesome details inside - [more inside]
posted by strixus on Apr 30, 2009 - 19 answers

My grandmother died recently, and sorting out her estate is a mess, help? [more inside]
posted by bettershredder on Jan 22, 2009 - 13 answers

How can I find a copy of an executed will from the 1960's? Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. [more inside]
posted by sandraregina on Dec 1, 2008 - 4 answers

My parents have offered to *give* me between $100K and $120K to go in on a house with them. I will accept this gift, but I need some help figuring out how to handle the strings that are certainly attached. Long story. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 29, 2008 - 44 answers

My friend's dad just died - without a will. The services are over, what are the next steps? [more inside]
posted by TNOTGILL on Oct 8, 2008 - 6 answers

How would I go about obtaining a copy of my grandfather's will? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 3, 2008 - 1 answer

Are there any downsides to having a "living trust" as part of my estate plan? [more inside]
posted by boby on Sep 14, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I go about pursuing unclaimed funds in my deceased father's name? He died almost 28 years ago, had no Will and my parents were divorced. What's even more of a catch is that I'm not in contact with my mother (crazy non-med bipolar) or anyone on my father's side of the family (see below). So, I'm somewhat limited in what information I have with regard to his Estate. [more inside]
posted by dancinglamb on Aug 8, 2008 - 11 answers

My grandfather died, leaving my father as co-executer of his estate. What are the first steps that my father needs to take? [more inside]
posted by Schismatic on Jul 5, 2008 - 6 answers

My parents are both well into their eighties now with health failing just a little bit more each year. How do I prepare myself for their eventual death? [more inside]
posted by netbros on May 28, 2008 - 11 answers

Where does a will get executed if I die somewhere other than where the will was written? [more inside]
posted by GuyZero on Apr 14, 2008 - 4 answers

Okay, soooo... my dad just died. And I need to know how to handle myself and take care of my best interests. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Mar 26, 2008 - 51 answers

I have a plastic container of "milk" that has an expiration date of 12/07 in my fridge. [more inside]
posted by thebrokedown on Mar 13, 2008 - 25 answers

Questions about the practical aspects of preparing for someone for death and things the survivors need to do after the death. [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher on Oct 8, 2007 - 14 answers

I realise that you are not my lawyer, and that this is not legal advice. I promise not to sue you. But I'd like some advice on wills. [more inside]
posted by Rabulah on Oct 3, 2007 - 6 answers

On the advice of my attorney, I have created a living trust to be the official owner of all my possessions. That way, when I die, Sra. and Baby Carp don't have to wait for stuff to go through probate. The one part I am missing is that I have to put all real estate, financial accounts, and vehicles into the name of the trust. The accounts are easy, but I can't find where to change the title to our house in DC or to our vehicles, also in DC. So, how do I go about re-titling, well, everything?
posted by carpographer on Aug 17, 2007 - 10 answers

Unfortunately, my sister is apparently Anna Nicole Smith crazy/toxic (but worse, and minus Anna's endearing qualities). My parents are getting old, and in his will my father is splitting everything he owns (property & assets) down the middle between the two of us. I'm terrified of what's ahead of me... just petrified. Sorry there's so much [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 29, 2007 - 24 answers

Someone died. Does her family have to keep paying the mortgage payments? Does interest keep accruing? Can they rent it out during this period? There was no will. (This is in California.) [more inside]
posted by salvia on Jul 22, 2007 - 9 answers

Estate-lawyer-in-Toronto-filter. We need to make wills. We're just a couple with kids -- not much of an estate nor any complicated plans. (And we're apparently not any good at following through on the plan to write them up ourselves :-) Any lawyer recommendations? We're in South Riverdale if it makes any difference. (Feel free to plug yourself if you are one)
posted by winston on Jun 9, 2007 - 1 answer

LastWillAndTestamentFilter: Can I specify, in my will, that a certain beneficiary is to be paid by stipend, rather than by lump sum? How does this work? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 14, 2007 - 10 answers

80sTVShow/FantasyFilter: Sword and Sorcery. At the end of each episode (?), the image would freeze and covert to a painting of said image. That's all I remember. I was 7 or 8 at the time so this would make it around 1985 or so. So. Yeah. That's all you get. Go to it, Mefites. [more inside]
posted by ryecatcher on May 7, 2007 - 14 answers

I am rewriting my will. I would love some advice on whether and/or how to "leave things" to (close) friends. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 13, 2007 - 16 answers

Can something non-traumatic end up as PTSD-related trauma? I already have a diagnosis, I'm just very confused about something that's been happening lately. New therapist doesn't start until next month, so no luck there - and I'm somewhat nervous about bringing this up, because it seems so STUPID. [more inside]
posted by FritoKAL on Jan 4, 2007 - 18 answers

It's time for the partner and I to set up wills. We've never done this before, and our "estates" aren't worth the cost of going to a lawyer. I need clarification about what we might need, and recommendations about what software to use. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah on Nov 9, 2006 - 11 answers

Is belief a voluntary action, an involuntary action or some mix of the two? [more inside]
posted by crewshell on Nov 1, 2006 - 12 answers

Has anyone come across Deathswitch? Do you think it's worth doing? [more inside]
posted by Lillitatiana on Oct 30, 2006 - 6 answers

Can we believe at will in the same way that we can raise our arms at will? [more inside]
posted by Eiwalker on Jul 9, 2006 - 64 answers

"How do you like them apples?" Can you explain to me the meaning of this line by Will Hunting (Matt Damon) in "Good Will Hunting"? [more inside]
posted by ndaguiar on Jun 23, 2006 - 18 answers

My wife has two kids from a previous marriage. Can I consider myself, legally, to be their step Father? (If so, does that entail any certain rights as such?) Should or can I adopt them? Since the Mom and I have raised them for most of their lives (90%), we would like to do something (together) to set them up in case something happens to us. Death etc. M.I. [more inside]
posted by snsranch on May 2, 2006 - 14 answers

I'm 20. How do I go about preparing a legal will and ensuring it will be paid due attention if I should die? And who should I pick as my executor? I live in Maryland. [more inside]
posted by schroedinger on Apr 21, 2006 - 8 answers

With the rise of flash drive technology, it makes me wonder why flash drives can't be used as primary hard drives in computers/mp3 players/ handheld gaming devices, etc. Could an OS conceivably be put on a flash drive? One that boots up almost immediately? For all our advancements with computers, it seems like boot times are getting longer, if anything. Flash drives keep getting bigger and bigger, up to 10 or more gigs nowadays, so when can I expect the computer manufacturers to roll out Flash drive computers? 5 years? 10? What are the technical limitations/challenges of Flash drives?
posted by zardoz on Apr 13, 2006 - 27 answers

How can I make my medical treatment preferences, not just in case of a living will, known? [more inside]
posted by IndigoRain on Feb 18, 2006 - 5 answers

Obligations of an executor of a will: If I'm named the executor of a will, and that will dictates all sorts of needlessly complex things like "form this trust" and "disburse these funds over 27 years", am I stuck with all that work? [more inside]
posted by Merdryn on Feb 2, 2006 - 15 answers

Artfilter: What is the name of the painting, and the painter, of the portrait hanging near the door of Will's apartment in Will & Grace? It's a portrait of a male, shoulders up, no shirt.
posted by Neale on Jan 21, 2006 - 3 answers

I am watching ITV's Midsomer Murders at the moment, wherein Detective Chief Inspector John Nettles just heard that a 20 year old student Aidan is told he will inherit £100,000 if he reaches 21 as a non smoker. Are these Will clauses legitimate in UK law? Or are they a convenient dramatic device, long superceded in legal practice?
posted by dash_slot- on Dec 30, 2005 - 8 answers

When you die, what specific information and instructions (beyond user names and passwords) would you need to leave for your heirs to deal with your email accounts, web hosting accounts, domain names, affiliate accounts, forum memberships, mailing list memberships, etc?
posted by redneck_zionist on Nov 17, 2005 - 25 answers

My father is probably about to die. He lives in Texas. (I'm in Colorado, and am about to go to Texas.) He is conscious but unable to communicate. I am his only heir. He said years ago that he wanted me to be the executor of his will, but I don't know if he even has a will. If he does have a will, he probably prepared it when he was married to a woman (not my mother), to whom he is no longer married. My question is what happens, or what I should do, in either case. He does not have substantial assets. I just want to make sure there's enough money to pay for the funeral and his outstanding debts.
posted by lukemeister on Oct 8, 2005 - 18 answers

How would someone go about finding about the estate and/or will of a relative you just found out died? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 20, 2005 - 4 answers

Help me choose who gets to pull my plug. [more inside]
posted by tristeza on Mar 30, 2005 - 12 answers

I'm in a long-term, gay relationship and looking to put together a will that puts me and my partner’s mind at ease before Civil Partnerships come into affect in the UK. The problem is, how does one go about putting together a will? What are people's experiences? Should I go to a lawyer specialising in gay relationships? And, if so, can anyone recommend a good one in the UK, London area?
posted by axon on Nov 29, 2004 - 1 answer