BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Planning for life after death is a conversation many people avoid, but local attorneys say putting it off can leave families facing unnecessary stress and uncertainty.<\/p>\n
To help residents prepare, Build East Baton Rouge, in partnership with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, will host a free estate planning legal clinic on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Helix Aviation Academy, 4400 Airpark Blvd.<\/p>\n
The clinic will give participants an opportunity to draft a will and learn how to protect their assets and ensure their wishes are carried out after they die.<\/p>\n
Attorney Alexis Grant, one of several attorneys volunteering for the clinic, said having a will allows people, not the courts, to decide what happens to their property.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want somebody else planning your life for you,\u201d Grant said.<\/p>\n
She said a will can help ensure hard-earned assets are distributed according to a person\u2019s wishes.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s say you work really hard for something, and you want it distributed a particular way. Making sure you have a will will allow for that to happen,\u201d Grant said.<\/p>\n
Build East Baton Rouge\u2019s Dexter Alexander said many families wait until after a loved one dies before thinking about estate planning, making the process more difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce it happens, it\u2019s almost too late,\u201d Alexander said.<\/p>\n
Alexander said one of the clinic\u2019s biggest benefits is that it removes the financial barrier that often prevents people from creating an estate plan. Hiring an estate planning attorney can cost thousands of dollars, but the clinic will provide those services at no cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou protect your generational wealth there. So, that will let you keep it within the family, and that allows those communities to thrive,\u201d Alexander said.<\/p>\n
Organizers hope making estate planning services free and accessible will encourage more families to protect what they\u2019ve worked for and create a lasting legacy for future generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt allows people to secure their legacy,\u201d Alexander said.<\/p>\n
Registration is required, and space is limited. Click here<\/a> for more information to register, or visit Build EBR\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to report a typo. Please include the headline.<\/p>\n