Wills, Trusts, and Advance Directives
The Reference Department at the Martinsburg Public Library
has resources that can help you make choices about wills, trusts, advance
directives, and end-of-life decisions.
Since we never know when an accident or a serious illness
might leave us incapable of making our own decisions, making the choice to have
these documents in place can save the persons whom you love and for whom you care
a lot of stress during trying times.
Having a will versus
dying “intestate” (without a will) means a lesser chance that there will be a
conflict between family members and survivors of the deceased, since the will
sets forth clearly the manner in which property and assets should be divided
following your death. To be legal, a will
should not be witnessed by persons who will benefit from its provisions
(including a spouse) and it should have all signatures, including those of the
testator (maker) and all witnesses, attested to by a notary public. A trust is another option, which provides for
control of property or assets over an extended period of time while
transferring ownership through the terms of the document.
Other documents, known as advance directives, let your
family and doctor know your decisions for health care if you become unable to
make those decisions for yourself. The state of West Virginia recognizes two
types of written advance directives, which are a Living Will and a Medical
Power of Attorney.
The library has books providing further details about these
documents and copies of all of these types of forms which you can use to
complete these important decisions that will make a difference to the people
you love.
Some important titles of interest on the legal bookshelf in
the Reference Department include:
Estate Planning in
West Virginia: Real Answers to Real Questions
Estate Planning Basics
Nolo’s Simple Will
Book
Prepare Your Own Will
Plan Your Estate:
Protect Your Loved Ones, Property & Finances
