This month, we honor the First Responders who put their lives on the line to save others. While there is no official First Responders month in the United States, the month of May is often recognized as First Responders month because May 4 is International Firefighters Day, and May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial Day. These two holidays provide an opportunity to honor the work of firefighters, police officers, and other first responders.
First responders are the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other emergency personnel who risk their lives to save others. They are the first ones on the scene of a fire, a crime, or a medical emergency. First responders deserve our gratitude and respect. They work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. They are away from their families and friends for extended periods of time. Given their duties, they are often exposed to dangerous situations, and they may be injured or killed in the line of duty.
For this reason, it is important for first responders to have an estate plan. An estate plan is a set of documents that outlines your wishes for your property, your finances, and your healthcare in the event of your death or incapacity.
An estate plan can help to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of financially and emotionally if something happens to you. It can also help to protect your assets from creditors and lawsuits.
There are a number of different estate planning documents that first responders may need, including:
- A will: A will is a legal document that states who you want to inherit your property after you die and names guardians if you have minor children.
- A power of attorney: A power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone else the authority to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.
- A health care directive: A health care directive is a legal document that states your wishes for your healthcare if you become incapacitated.
- A revocable living trust: A living trust is a legal document that allows you to avoid probate court and keep your assets out of the public record.
Despite the importance of having an estate plan, I was surprised to learn that many first responders don’t have an estate plan, nor do they know what is included in one. Many have told me that their departments don’t offer any kind of education or services to support them in getting an estate plan in place, despite the inherent risks of their jobs.
As an estate planning attorney and wife of a police officer, I find this lack of support and resources unacceptable. While there are several organizations that provide free wills for first responders, they often lack the necessary educational component that is necessary to ensure that the plan will work the way the person intends, giving a false sense of security to the families and potentially leaving a mess to clean up when something happens.
The lack of resources in this area for first responders prompted Megan and me to create Willow L.E.A.F. Project, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate first responders and their families on all things estate planning through seminars and workshops, and provide them with discounted, individualized, comprehensive estate plans, prepared by estate planning attorneys, that will work for their families should they need them.
First responders are an essential part of our communities. They deserve our gratitude and support. We can show our appreciation for first responders in a number of ways. We can attend events and ceremonies that honor them. We can donate to organizations that support them. We can simply say thank you when we see them.
Willow L.E.A.F. Project will be rolling out both virtual and in person events in the coming months to support our first responders and their families. Stay tuned for more information! If you are interested in learning more about our mission, please reply to this email. We are always looking for ideas and ways we can support and serve our first responder community.