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Home » Planning

Drafting My Will, Financial Power of Attorney, and More

Modified: Jan 8, 2024 · Published: Jul 3, 2007 by Dave Lee |

The first time I recall my parents mentioning their Will was before a trip to Alaska to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

My Dad had written up a list of instructions for what to do if their plane were to go down. I remember trying to play it off and not think about the possibility. Luckily, the trip went like clockwork, though they've reminded me of the list ever since.

Last Will and Testament (photo: Melinda Gimpel)
Last Will and Testament (photo: Melinda Gimpel)

I am now in uncharted territory, having very little debt and a lot of savings. As a result, and in the event narco-terrorists or a gonzo sting ray knocks me off, I decided it would be prudent to draft a Will before leaving the country.

In addition, I wanted to give my Mom Financial Power of Attorney so she could act on my behalf (such as being able to deposit money into my accounts, cash checks, help me with my taxes, etc.).

Rounding out the legal trifecta would be an Advance Medical Directive in case I end up in a vegetative state someday.

Initially, I expected to have to hire a lawyer to help me draft all of these legal documents. However, my Dad suggested I could find standard legal documents online.

A few Google searches led me to discover Quicken Willmaker Plus, which would allow me to create all the documents independently for less than $50. I bought the software and spent this past Sunday afternoon filling out the questionnaires for each document.

The software leads me through each step in easy-to-understand yet detailed language. Since I do not have a printer, I downloaded some freeware to "print" the documents into PDF files.

It took a little extra time, as I had to play with the margins to ensure the page breaks were in the right place (as the documents can be rendered null and void if things don't line up correctly).

I'd estimate it took a few hours. I have a small family, and being single, without children or real estate, I could skip many questions.

My parents are reviewing the documents, as I named them my agents and executors. If they sign off, I need to round up witnesses and a notary to make it all official.

Surprisingly, I hit this drab task head-on while I've managed to put off updating my resume for five years! Go figure.

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About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Stu says

    July 03, 2007 at 1:31 pm

    When I first left australia I gave power of attorney to my mum, not realising it only lasted a few years and expired... as an fyi :)

    wills are a good things to have so the state doesnt take it all from you.

  2. Stu says

    July 03, 2007 at 8:31 am

    When I first left australia I gave power of attorney to my mum, not realising it only lasted a few years and expired... as an fyi :)

    wills are a good things to have so the state doesnt take it all from you.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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