“I’m only 34; why do I need a will?” – I’m sure some of you have had similar thoughts. But, let me break it down for you – age doesn’t matter. Everyone, young or old, should have something in place to determine what will happen when their time comes. As 2020 has shown us, anything is possible, and you’ll never know when you or a close friend or relative will need to have your affairs in order. 

I used to think that only people with significant financial means, property or land needed a will. After witnessing my mom’s passing, a lovely woman who had few possessions of value, I have realized that there are many reasons to outline what you want to happen before and after you die. 

1. Custody of Dependants – I want to make sure my daughter is well cared for if my spouse and I should pass. In my will, I can include a paragraph outlining who will have custody of her and what financial measures will be in place for her future from my estate. 

2. Power of Attorney for Personal Care – If I should be incapacitated and my spouse be incapacitated as well, I want to make sure that the person making any kind of medical decisions on my behalf is someone I fully trust to carry out what I would want to happen without allowing their personal feelings to get in the way. By appointing someone I can rely on through a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, I can take comfort knowing that my wishes will be followed to the greatest extent of my PoA’s abilities. 

3. Health Care Directive – This is an optional document, along with the organ donation form, that can be prepared alongside your wills and Powers of Attorney. My health care directive reads that I do not want any extraordinary measures taken to keep me alive. I feel that I would not want to be kept alive via machines or live out the rest of my days suffering and it is important to me to have this document in place in case something should happen.

4. Organ Donation - Organ donation may be something that you feel strongly about. I know that if I can no longer be here, I hope that my passing can help at least one other person. While preparing my estate documents, I have the option to include something to ensure that my wishes regarding any of my healthy and usable organs are followed. I prefer knowing that the decision about this is mine and mine alone

5. Funeral Arrangements – My mom passed in 2018, and, as I mentioned above, she didn’t have many of the material items that I used to associate with the kind of person that needed a will. One of the things we did go over in great detail before her passing was her wishes for her funeral and final resting place. By going over these details with her, I ensured that she got exactly what she wanted when she passed. No, you might not always have the chance to ensure that you can plan these things as we did, but if you take the care to put your wishes into your will now, they will be there when you need them. 

6. Sentimental Gifts – While, at this time, I may not have many valuable assets in the traditional sense, I do have many items of great sentimental value that I wish to ensure are passed on to my child. Some examples would include my mother’s wedding set or my grandmother’s porcelain dolls. While these may seem like junk to some people, they hold a great deal of value for my family and I want to ensure that they are passed down to the right people when I die. 

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why young people who might consider themselves as not having very many valuables should get their wills done. The peace of mind provided that my young daughter will be taken care of how I want her to be taken care of and that my final wishes will be granted are reason enough for me and my spouse to take the plunge and sort out these affairs early.