No one likes to think about unpleasant things and most of us put off making wills until the last minute. Bill still doesn’t have one nor do I, but he’s been thinking a lot about it lately because of my Son’s death and the mess my DIL is finding herself in right now. For some odd reason he thought that everything would automatically go to his spouse even though he didn’t have her name on anything, but that isn’t proving to be the case and he didn’t even bother to give her power of attorney.

Of course he thought he had a couple of years to make everything okay, but none of us know when our time will be up and if we haven’t even made a will we make it very hard on our loved ones that are left behind. My Son had such big dreams and I’m sure if he had been given more time he would have made everything right. Apparently she has even had a hard time getting death certificates so she can file for Eric’s Social Security for herself and Ethan.

I found that hard to believe so I filed for his death certificate online on the 19th of Feb and I received it in the mail on the 23rd. I did see that the funeral home signed it on January 23rd and the doctor didn’t sign it till Feb. 4th. He died December 29th and was buried on the 2nd of Jan., why in the world would these people mess around for so long knowing that his family needed SS benefits to survive on till they figure out what they are doing? Makes no sense to me what so ever.

His SSI check was suppose to start Feb. 19th and he would have received back benefits from the time he filed. I am hoping that these 2 will at least be able to get things cleared up and at least receive a portion of that. She needs to make a list and start checking these things off one by one. First priority is getting Ethan’s birth certificate and getting his social security card, the death certificates so she can file, gathering up all titles, to the van, motorcycle, travel trailer and go see a lawyer and find out what she needs to do.

That’s what has Bill worried right now because he doesn’t want to leave me in the same mess if he should go before me and since we are life partners and not married I would have even less rights than DIL and commonwealth states have weird laws compared to others. He asked me to look up information online so I’ve been reading about revocable living trusts compared to a regular will that would have to go through probate and be subjected to inheritance tax and whatever else.

With the living trust he could make me 1st beneficiary and then his Daughter and Son 2nd and 3rd and it would go to them after my death, at least I would then have a roof over my head without worrying about living on the street. It’s not easy getting old and worrying about everything that goes along with it. Like I said no one knows when their time will be up and it’s not fair to leave without making sure we do everything to make it easier for those we leave behind.