Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with will

Miracles will never cease?

Blackwatch — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:14:14 -0800

What's the origin of the phrase: "Miracles will never cease." I used the phrase "Miracles will never cease" and a colleague pondered the origin of this idiom.

Google throws up a lot of instances, but I can't find an origin. I believe the original phrase may have been "Wonders will never cease," so "Miracles..." may be a corruption of that.

Grateful if anyone could give a definitive answer...

Fuck death

Bageena — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:58:49 -0800

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? I tried this question before but I put way too much information on it and I had to get it removed. I thought we'd figured out what steps to take, but we're back at square one. There's several properties, several vehicles, life insurance policies, monies in bank accounts, bonds, et cetera. My questions are;
1. Is there any way to do this without a lawyer?
2. If not, is there cheap or free legal counsel I can find online or where we live, in Arizona?
3. What should we be expecting in the way of hurdles? Probate, taxes, things like that.

I don't know. I'm hyper-depressed. I really didn't want to handle all of this shit and with all the family in-fighting, I wish the state would take it all. However, my wife has a vested interest I guess, so here I am. Please help Mefi.

(I'm in AZ)
(If your an attorney who can help me, please, by all means, drop me an e-mail)

How is 'predeceased' evaluated in a will when 2 deaths occur very close together

HiroProtagonist — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:20:13 -0800

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? Presumably if it could be proved that B died after A, then B's heirs would inherit, but if there are no witnesses, proving time of death isn't [as far as I know] terribly accurate.

Are there legal 'tiebreakers' such as "you must be alive at probate to inherit", or "if the time of deaths can't be distinguished, B is considered to have predeceased A"?

Or do the heirs have to fight it out in court?

If you have knowledge of the legal situation, please state the jurisdiction you're referring to.

I'm asking this out of idle curiosity, not because I need legal advice.

Does my dad's will override POD designation?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:11:53 -0800

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? My dad's estate is going to be complicated and take some time -- there's several apartments which will have to be liquidated in order to execute the will, which is set up 3/12ths of total assets to me, 1/12th to 9 other people IIRC.

He did name me as POD (payable on death) on his bank accounts. My understanding is that this bypasses the probate process -- I just show up with ID and death certificate and the bank turns over the accounts.

These are checking accounts whose balance fluctuated, but are small (<1%) compared to the total estate. I could use some cash right now to keep me in cellphone service and cigarettes.

However, he included those accounts in the listing of assets attached to his will. Specifically, he had a spreadsheet printout with those accounts' balances at the time, the appraised values of apartments, IRA and money market account balances, etc. I'm not sure if he filed updated versions with his lawyers each year or whatever, but there have been different versions.

So my question is, does his listing of those accounts among his assets override the POD designation? If it does, is the asset the account itself, or whatever balance was listed with the "official" balance sheet? Would I be able to get some money now?

Is my bequest entailed?

arnicae — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:53:36 -0800

Received a bequest that apparently has strings attached. Is this possible, and if so, is it enforceable? I received as a bequest an item that has been in my family for several decades and valued somewhere between 1-10k. The executor of the will just informed me that accepting the bequest means I agree that I will never sell or dispose of the item, and if I do, I must first offer it to everyone in the family, and failing that, that any and all monies from the sale of the item must be returned to the estate and distributed the the primary beneficiaries of the will (of which I am not one).

I'm planning to ask for a copy of the will, but if it does indeed include that language, is this enforceable? I'm in California, in the United States if it pertains.

How to make a will better?

madajb — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:55:04 -0800

Got any tips for creating a will for new parents? We plan to get a lawyer, this is so we are more prepared when we speak with them. If anyone know a good lawyer in or around Eugene, OR, that'd be handy too.

As the parents of a new child, we've suddenly become aware that a will would likely be a good idea.
One child, fairly standard estate.
We'll likely set up a guardianship for the child with financial oversight separate.

Looking for things that you may have found useful in setting up your own will or executing someone else's.
Sort of those little things that make a big difference.
Things you may appreciated when you were the beneficiary of a will or specific items to include or exclude.

What does Daniel Plainview tell Eli?

jakubsnm — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:39:13 -0800

What does Daniel Plainview tell Eli in There Will Be Blood? What does Daniel Plainview say to Eli while shaking his hand after being baptised? It doesn't come up on the subtitles.

I've found a few pages asking the same question. This one has a short video of the moment.

need to write a will, on the cheap

LittlePumpkin — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:53:45 -0800

can i write a valid, effective will without a lawyer? are there helpful, free models?

Please help me deal with my father's sudden passing.

haplesschild — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:57:51 -0800

My (estranged) father just died. I don't know if he left a will. What are my next steps? I think I need to preface this by saying that when faced with a huge situation, my brain goes into practical mode, so here I am sitting on the bed after a cryfest, trying to get my ducks in a row and concentrate on some facts so I know what to expect.

I found out my father died today. I have not seen him in about 20 years, and I talked to him maybe 2 years ago. As of right now we have no idea if he left a will. He died in Arizona, where he had just moved. Currently his body is with the coroner, who is expected to declare the cause of death.

I am his only child. He has never remarried. He has one sister, and a father who is in a nursing home.

I don't live anywhere near Arizona, but I can get off from work to go down there, but only for a few days. He has a space in the family plot in Kansas, and from talking to the coroner, getting him cremated would be the best option because I was told his body was not found in good condition.

I guess my question is what steps do I take? I read some other askmefi answers, and a lot of those start with "get a lawyer"... and I really don't have the money to, nor do I know what/if he has anything. I'm really nervous that I will have to pay his bills, or rent, when I just don't have the means right now to handle it.

He was renting an apartment- do I need to go down and clean it out, and am I allowed to take anything, or does it go into storage while the courts deal with it? Where do I begin looking to see if he filed a will? In the next 24-72 hours is there anyone who needs to be called (besides family)?

I am kind of overwhelmed and I don't know what needs to be done, and it is awkward since it has been so long since seeing him. Any help you can give me, or a "checklist for only children of deceased absentee fathers" would be great.

How to witness a will signing?

raisingsand — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:25:59 -0800

Does the order matter when a will is witnessed and notarized? I've written our wills, using legal software. They're printed out, ready to go. The software says they need to be witnessed by three people and notarized. I can get three friends here for dinner to witness the signatures. Or I can get the unsigned will and ourselves to a notary. I can't quite figure out how to get three witnesses and a notary in the same place at the same time. Must the signatures be notarized for the will to be valid? Can our signatures just be witnessed? Or vice versa, can the signatures be notarized and we ask our friends to witness the signatures after the fact? We are in Tennessee.

Crudelius est quam mori semper timere mortem

strixus — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:56:00 -0800

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 - This is not actually theoretical. For a very long time, my mother has expressed a desire to be a mounted skeleton after her death - but only if her bones can be left in my care. I'm fine with this - I've seen her xrays and she's a really nifty pathological specimen - and I honestly have never had the "ew creepy" about human remains that most people seem to have.

So I have a few questions...
So, upon her death... what next?
What provisions does she need to have in her will for this?
How can I locate (preferably well before hand) a group who would be willing to handle the defleshing and preparation, as well mounting?
Where would have such facilities and be willing to accommodate this request?
Does anyone know of a lawyer, anywhere in the US who would be willing to consult on such a will?

I know you are not my lawyer, nor hers - and I know a lot of you are going to be really grossed out by this idea. But really.. I'd rather have her with me than in the ground somewhere - and so would she.

My Aunt Hi-jacked Grandma's Estate, help.

bettershredder — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:46:10 -0800

My grandmother died recently, and sorting out her estate is a mess, help? A couple weeks ago my grandmother died, she was 93 years old and from Oregon state.

When my grandfather died, everything was obviously left to my grandma, but my aunt was made estate executor. I know my grandfather had a will, but am unsure whether my grandma made a new one, or if that was even necessary? Anyway, my cousin volunteered to take care of my grandma instead of opting for hospice care. He had been living in my grandma's home for the past 8 years or so and has been receiving a salary for his contribution to her care (totally inappropriate in my opinion).

My aunt's whole role in this is sketchy. I'm afraid they essentially tricked my grandma to agree in giving my cousin a significant amount of money after she passed, which apparently has now come true. Also, I feel like she has been mootching off my grandma while she was living; fairly recently my cousin took an $90k advance in his 'salary' to help my aunt finish her new home that she was building.

I think now my aunt expects to take the whole estate since my dad wasn't as 'involved' in my grandmother's live as she was. In her words, her and my cousin took on the burden of caring for her all these years so they deserve to take everything.

My dad (aunt's brother) wants to avoid conflict at all costs and is likely willing to let her do all this. I personally, could care less about any money or materials as does my dad, but I don't want to let my aunt get away with this and get what she wants. To make things worse, they treated my grandmother very poorly in her last years; they trashed her house by filling it with collectibles and antiques, which they are obsessed with. They are literally compulsive hoarders and used my grandma's house as storage. They belittled her all the time in front of my family and constantly made her feel like a complete burden, it was despicable. I even called social services to have her taken away from them, but my dad vetoed it and told me to let it go.

I know you'll probably tell me to grab a lawyer, but is there anything else I can do?

Where there is a Will there is a way.

sandraregina — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:29:21 -0800

How can I find a copy of an executed will from the 1960's? Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. My grandfather passed away in the 1960's. He had a will, and it was executed. My father has a copy of the disbursement, which states how much money from the estate each of the children got after my grandfather's death. He does not have a copy of the will.
Now there is a question regarding the burial lot my grandfather purchased before he died. Because of changing internment regulations, the four plots on the lot my grandfather purchased have now morphed into 28, only two of which are used (my grandfather and my grandmother). The disbursement makes no mention of or reference to the burial lot.
My father and his siblings are trying to figure out what their father's intentions were regarding the lot. They are hoping that the actual will itself might contain some wording or information that will help them. The executors are deceased. The law office where the will was initially filed no longer exists.
Is it possible to track down an executed will after all this time, and if so, where would we start looking? We have the names of the lawyers of the law office, and there are other lawyers in town with the same name, but we aren't sure if they are related or not.
Any information would be appreciated. This is Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Reluctant Trustifarian

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:32:40 -0800

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. (Yes I'd get a lawyer. I just want to know what issues to consider once I consult one.)

Last night my parents called me and told me that they had recently come into an unexpected and large lump sum of cash from a retirement settlement. They've been wanting me to get a house, and I have been wanting a house. I make a pretty paltry salary, however, and so my abilities to buy a house on my own are limited. They'd offered me money for a downpayment in the past, but I decided that it would still be too much of a financial stress. This offer changes things.

They discussed the best way give me this $100-120K for a house with their lawyer, and it seems that they have a trust that is set up to go to me and my sister upon their deaths. Their intent, however, is for me to get some of the money now, rather than in 20-30 years when they die. So the trust would own 2/3 of the house, and I would own 1/3.

There are a few conditions, however.
First, they want a house with at least 3BR and 2 baths, for them to stay in when visiting. They live 800 miles away, so it's not like they'd be dropping in often. Also, I asked them what amount of time they were expecting to spend there, and told them in no way would I want them to be there for weeks at a time. They don't want that, either. I'm OK with this string.

Second, they want veto power over the house I choose. This is to protect what they see as their investment, and their considerations would be neighborhood, condition of the house, age of the house, etc. We probably agree on these things with little concern, so I'm OK with that as well.

Other issues we discussed: I could have a housemate, as long as they could still stay there when visiting. I'd like to get a dog, and they're OK with that, too. I'd be responsible for property taxes, and we have not discussed who'd be responsible for maintenance and repairs. I'd assume that would be me. If I moved, they'd buy me out. The equity from their contribution would eventually go to me anyway, upon their death.

Overall, the preliminary discussion was reasonable. I was able to express my worries about it seeming like a business deal in the family. They understood. I asked if they'd freak if I got a lawyer for me. They were all for it--due diligence, they said.

My immediate concerns:

1) that my mother will nag me to death about house upkeep or any other things she doesn't like that I do. She does this. It's like she can't help it. I'm admittedly not very good at doing things quickly. I'm also very messy.

2) I have several step-siblings that my parents have broken all ties with.None of them did anything extremely horrible, by the way. It's been at least 8 years since my parents last had contact with these siblings. That means my full sibling and I are the only ones who are getting any of my parents money, and we're to split it 50/50. Deep in my heart, I wonder if I'd ever get the boot, too. I don't think so, but I want to protect myself just in case. It's a hot mess.

3) My mother has a history of manipulation through money. I went to an expensive private university far from home for undergrad, which they bankrolled entirely. After my first year, my mother tried to get me to move back to the area by offering to buy me a brand new luxury car if I'd transfer to the highly ranked state school nearish to them. I set my boundaries and gave a firm "No" to that suggestion. In addition, I went to grad school in a field that they did not like, and they didn't contribute. However, they repeatedly offered to pay for me to go to medical school, which I was never interested in. Final example: I have some issues with depression, and my mom is on my case at all times to exercise more. On my suggestion, she bought me a gym membership recently so that I'd do so. Money=love.

4) My sister (the only other still in good graces), has always called me the "favored child." This offer doesn't help that. My parents are aware of this problem, so the offer is a secret for now while they work out how to make this equitable. I don't want her to resent me. She lives a few blocks from them and has children. She benefits from that in many ways that aren't as tangible as a large sum of cash. Unlimited access to a beach house. Expensive dinners. Free babysitting. Spoiled grandchildren. I don't begrudge her those things at all, but it does rankle occasionally that she thinks I get everything and she gets nothing.

5. My mom is concerned that she'll die first, that my stepfather will get remarried (which she'd want) and that my sister and I will end up penniless (other than what we have from ourselves). I know that's in part her motivation to give me money now. My stepfather is 100% with her on this gift, however, as we had a conference call about it last night.

In sum, this is what advice I'm seeking:

What kinds of things should I include in a legal agreement? Is it appropriate to put limits on how often they visit, who's responsible for what, how to resolve conflicts, and such? What else should I consider that I haven't thought of? Also, what can I do to allay my fears of them rescinding in case I fall out of favor like my other siblings have? To be clear, they're saying this is a *gift* not a loan. Do I broach my mom's concern that stepfather will change his will if she dies first?

How do I navigate the interpersonal issues? I'm pretty good at setting boundaries, but I worry that such a big gift will make them think they have influence over the choices I make in life that are unrelated to the house. Or that they'd use the house as a way to try to control me.

I know that's a lot of information. I hope it's enough. If anyone wants clarification, you can contact me at reluctant.trustifarian@gmail.com

Also, I know that I'm extremely privileged, and I hope I am sufficiently humble about it. This level of privilege embarrasses me, actually, but that's another question for later, maybe.

What to do without a will?

TNOTGILL — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:37:23 -0800

My friend's dad just died - without a will. The services are over, what are the next steps? There was little estate, so her siblings were just going to divide it equally without a lawyer. They don't know what needs to be done after that. Any ideas? (They are in Louisiana, if that matters)

Good Will Hunting

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:13:22 -0800

How would I go about obtaining a copy of my grandfather's will? My grandfather passed away in 2001. He had three children and a number of grandchildren(including myself). His eldest son was the executor of his will, and my 'best' memory of him was watching him fight with the younger brother over who would get my grandfather's car, just outside the funeral home on the day of the funeral. He, and the youngest son are pretty much estranged to the rest of the family. He will occasionally visit my grandmother, write out some cheques, and be on his merry way again, while my mother takes care of most of the day to day stuff out of pocket.

To date, my mother has never seen a copy of his will, and does not have contact information for either of her brothers/my uncles, nor does she have any desire to contact them. They have pretty common names, so trying to track them down is proving difficult, and truly, I would like to avoid contacting them myself. What I'm wondering, is if there is any way to obtain a copy of his will without contacting the executor, or the lawyer.

I am in Ontario, Canada, if that helps.

(anon since I'm pretty sure one of my cousins reads this site - thanks Mefi)

Estate planning help needed.

boby — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:42:54 -0800

Are there any downsides to having a "living trust" as part of my estate plan? I'm want to make an estate plan including my last will and testament, living trust, health care proxy and power of attorney.
Legalzoom.com will do this for a few hundred dollars. A bricks and mortar lawyer quoted me a price of 2 THOUSAND dollars! I have no children and will be leaving everything I own to my girlfriend.
All I've read about living trusts says that this is the way to go in addition to last will and testament, living trust, health care proxy and power of attorney.
Can legalzoom.com handle my simple needs at a low price?

Unclaimed Funds on a Closed Estate?

dancinglamb — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:24:49 -0800

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. I was fooling around with one of those unclaimed funds sites last night and happened upon both a bank account and an investment fund account in my father's name. He died in 1980 at the age of 44 without a Will, and the family aftermath was particularly ugly (divorced, both sides of the family hated each other, big fight over who was paying for what, who was getting the proceeds of the Estate, etc.).

Ultimately, the majority of the Estate was put into a Trust for both my brother and myself (we were 7 and 10 at the time). Not long after his passing, my mother somehow got the Court to allow her full access to the funds under the pretense of support (in addition to receiving Social Security) and blew *all* of it.

To my knowledge, one of my father's brothers, a lawyer, dealt with all the formalities of the Estate (I know that he was the one that went through all of his possessions, etc.). However, I've not been in contact with any of these people in nearly 30 years. They weren't friendly to me when he was alive, and certainly weren't after he was dead. I also don't think it's a great idea to call them out of the blue and ask for information only for them to find out it's because there's money involved, iykwim.

Upon my paternal grandmother's passing a few years ago, I did receive some paperwork belonging to my father. I seem to recall that one of the items was his death certificate, though I can't be certain. If I *do* have it, it's somewhere in the great abyss of my basement.

I looked online to see what I would need to get a new copy (he died in NYC), and among other things, they require his mother's maiden name and his father's first name. I have no clue as to what they were. I do, however, have his last address, birth and death dates, and his Social Security Number. I don't know if that is sufficient enough, and I don't know if they are going to require any sort of documentation to prove that there was no Will in place. I know that I'm also going to have to produce my own birth certificate to demonstrate that I am, in fact, his daughter.

I do not want to involve my mother in this at all. I've not spoken to her in years, and she will undoubtedly stake claim to whatever she can. I spent a few hours tonight doing searches online trying to find names/contact information for his parents, but no dice (my paternal grandfather died before I was born). The thought of just going to the cemetery and getting their names that way crossed my mind. At this point, it might be faster...

So, how do I do this? I don't even know how much money is in the accounts.

The unclaimed funds are in NY State, if it makes any difference.

Thanks for your input.

How to start taking care of an estate?

Schismatic — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:59:24 -0800

My grandfather died, leaving my father as co-executer of his estate. What are the first steps that my father needs to take? My grandfather died in the hospital yesterday. His wife passed away several years ago, so all of the responsibilities of handling the financial, legal, and burial side of affairs fall to my father and his siblings. My father is the co-executer of the will, along with the daughter of my grandfather's late wife, and is overwhelmed by the number and weight of the matters that need to be dealt with. There is the burial to attend to, pets that now don't have an obvious caretaker, a house that isn't in great shape and contains a good deal of stuff to take care of, plus whatever financial accounts to close.

It's a lot to be stuck with all of a sudden, especially on top of the emotional weight. What are the first steps he should take? I imagine there are people (lawyers? accountants?) that need to be contacted and know what to be done, but who they are isn't obvious right now.

Losing Parents

netbros — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:59:40 -0800

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? Hopefully this isn't too morbid. I've been fortunate through my life to not have to deal much with death, but I know that time is approaching for my parents. Aside from the obvious sadness and bereavement, what can I expect in the short term following the passing of my parents? I'm looking for help with things like executing the will and estate, liquidating assets, accommodating creditors, etc. They have already appointed me as executor of their estate. For those of you who have lost parents, how did you deal with the immediate grief, but also what was left behind? Thanks so much for your assistance with this sad and hard to talk about subject.

Where does a will get executed if I die somewhere other than where the will was written?

GuyZero — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:38:39 -0800

Where does a will get executed if I die somewhere other than where the will was written? If I write a will in (say) Canada but die in the USA, where is the will executed? What if I was residing in the US? And if I effectively reside in multiple countries (let's say I was retired and split my time between Canada and Florida) do I need two wills? Essentially, how are jurisdictional issues resolved when it comes to executing a will? (Also, let's assume it's a properly prepared will and not just me writing it on a napkin)

Hope me please. Thanks.

miss lynnster — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:58:02 -0800

Okay, soooo... my dad just died. And I need to know how to handle myself and take care of my best interests. I'm about to hop in the car to drive to San Diego. My uncle is holding the fort for the moment, with my sister about to swoop on the scene so I need to get there soon. When I arrive there, what to I need to be thinking about? How can I make this easier for everyone? How can I make this less stressful for myself so that I can handle it with as much calmness and dignity as possible? Honestly, right now I'm just a bawling mess wishing I could've had a better last phone call with him and being super sad that he died alone. I know I had a good relationship with him and stuff though, so I need to shake it off and be a grown up.

He was 75, owns some property in California and a plot of land in Nevada, I don't know what else I should say really. I just know that I'm not good with finances and legal junk (let alone my dad dying) and I'm sure there are all sorts of things I should be preparing myself for. Also I have one sister, and whether I like it or not I have to accept that she has an existing pattern of being untrustworthy and money driven in general, and adversarial with me since birth. So I've been dreading this day and I told my dad as much. He told me that he put things into a trust with my uncle as executor, but I don't know how these things work really. I don't have any interest in engaging in any kind of sibling war, I just want things to be amicable and fair (especially since she has houses in his name and I haven't borrowed any money from him until recently, really). I just don't want drama, and my sister's middle name is drama. If it could be her first and last name too I'm sure she'd have it changed.

Sigh. I don't like today very much. Understatement of the year.

I have a bomb in my kitchen

thebrokedown — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:06:30 -0800

I have a plastic container of "milk" that has an expiration date of 12/07 in my fridge. I use milk only to cook, and my refrigerator is a small, crowded and scary space. This (almost full) container got lost, somehow. Anyhoo, tomorrow is trash day, and I'd like to get rid of this toxic waste with the least possible collateral damage.

At this point, the liquid is mostly clear with a thick white substance on the bottom. Can I put the almost-full container in with the other trash? Will the temperature difference cause an explosion? Should I--dare I--pour it out? Is leaving it there until it develops an advanced culture and concomitant space program of its own the answer? Or shall I add it to a plate of beans?

How do you prepare or help prepare someone who is dying and then deal with the practical aspects of the aftermath

Brandon Blatcher — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:52:15 -0800

Questions about the practical aspects of preparing for someone for death and things the survivors need to do after the death. 1. When you know someone is dying, what specific things should they do to "put their affairs in order"?

2. After someone you are responsible for, such as parent, child or spouse, has died, what do you, who do you call, i.e what steps need to be taken to ensure the removal of the body, funeral arrangements etc?

3. Suppose you are caring for someone who is dying, say someone with cancer, and their time is near. Are there specific signs that indicate their death is only a few minutes or hours away, so you can help ease their passing? I've heard it mentioned that the eyes become cloudy almost like they're going blind, is this universal?

4. Why does cancer kill? Wouldn't the virus want to keep the host alive? Or if it does kill, why isn't it contagious, in order to ensure its survival?

Will I, or wont I?

Rabulah — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:38:31 -0800

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. I have very very little knowledge about wills, and lots of questions. I'm in good health, under 30, in the UK. No children, never will be. My estate is worth hardly anything.

Are those "will kits" you can buy from pretty much anywhere worth the paper they're written on?

Is it worth creating a living will? I have some idea of the quality of life I do and don't want.

Is it worth going to a lawyer to have one drawn up? What would be the benefit to doing so?

What if I win the lottery or something - how easy would it be to change a "kit will"?

Do I need to worry about power of attorney? What is it, for that matter?

Who do I need to tell about the will? Friends, family, etc?

Any tips on broaching the subject with said friends and family, all of whom have an "ignore it and it'll go away" attitude towards death?

How do I choose an executor?

I realise that that is quite a long list of questions, and I appreciate you answering any of them.