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The Importance Of Making A Will...
posted (July 20, 2017)
If you are 45 years and older, you should start looking into your will if you haven't already. Sure, most of you might say you are too young to be thinking about that but as you get older and your distant relatives, even kids start to snatch your hard earned assets, it will be too late. Well the National Council on Aging along with the Attorney General's Office hosted a workshop on how to prepare and secure wills and testaments. Courtney Weatherburne stopped by the Belize Institute of Management to find out more about this process.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Many people are reluctant to draft up a will.

Eva Middleton, L.I.F.E Representative
"Well I don't have my will yet because I am not ready to die."

And it is for that same reason that many older persons never write or secure their wills. But really, it is not so much about anticipating the time of death.

Lead workshop facilitator Cherene Rivero says that writing a will ensure that all your assets are safe while you are still alive as well after you pass on.

Cherene Rivero, Program Officer, National Council on Ageing
"Our target audience are older persons, the reason why we are focusing on those persons not only because the council works for older persons but because we have been getting a lot of referrals of older persons who are losing everything before they die and so having a will or an executor for your will, somebody to look out for your benefits is important."

"Preparing is better, it is always better so if you have assets, a house, you have an account anything, whether it might be small it is important for you to look at preparing a will and having that secured."

And Solicitor General Nigel Hawke discussed that process with the group.

Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General
"The will is a simple process I mean it is not any formal document it could be on any simple document but it has to follow a basic structure you should have a person who is the testator who is making the will, you should have executor or executrix as the case may be who will administer the will, then you have the beneficiaries, you have the persons who will witness the will."

Courtney Weatherburne
"And these executors who can they be? Who are these parties?"

Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General
"It could be a person who they have trust or confidence in, it might be a family member, it could be the eldest child, it could be somebody who you have complete trust and confidence basically."

"What we are saying to them if they can't afford a private an attorney the legal aid and advice center will be there to assist them and I think free of cost, they are senior citizens they have already given their dues to society already."

In many cases, these legal procedures are overlooked - which eventually leads to a messy battle among those family members who are left behind.

Cherene Rivero, Program Officer, National Council on Ageing
"If you don't take care of the assets that you have, somebody else will for you and your family might be at a disadvantage for it, the people that you want to take the assets or have those things that you worked so hard for wont get it so you need to ensure those people do get the things that you want to leave for them."

Eva Middleton, L.I.F.E Representative
"Today is a great day because I am going to learn about the will, the legalities and also what I need to do in preparation and I will go back and teach the seniors I work with and also the persons with diverse abilities why and how to create their wills."

A workshop was held in Belmopan on Monday and another will be held in Dangriga on Tuesday the 25th at the Red Cross Building. If you want more information you can visit the legal aid and advice center in Belize City, Belmopan and Orange Walk.

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