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Most people are familiar with the need for a legal will to determine how a person’s assets will be distributed after they pass away. However, many are unsure about the process or how to go about writing a will. The Will Writing Clinic and Heirs Property Information Session may help with that issue.
Jeremy Williams, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent at the Harlan County Cooperative Extension Service, shed some light on what folks may expect at the session.
“Our office and the County Extension Council are working with Livelihood Knowledge Exchange Network to provide a will writing clinic at no cost,” Williams said.
Williams added that heirs’ property will also be discussed.
“In southeast Kentucky, there are a lot of lands that are tied up in heirs,” Williams said. “One of the things that are going to be discussed is giving assistance on how to possibly get the heir property freed up.”
Williams noted attorneys will be available to provide information on the matter.
“When folks come to the program, they’ll be able to sit down with an attorney regardless of financial situations and possibly walk away with a completed will in hand,” Williams said.
The information session is free and open to the public.
“Anybody that needs this may benefit,” Williams said. “If you’re needing a will – and everyone needs one at some point – after you pass it helps your family know what you want.”
The session may also be useful to people facing issues with property that is tied up in heirs.
“One of the things we’ve seen in southeast Kentucky is you will have a property that’s been in a family for multiple generations,” Williams said. “It was never assigned to anybody from the first person who passed, and now its up to the fourth generation. I’ve heard of as many as 104 people tied up in an heir property.”
According to Williams, all heirs must sign off on a deed to clear up such a situation.
“They’re going to give some information on how to walk through the process of clearing up an heir property,” Williams said. “This program is going to allow people to learn more about heir property and to be able to navigate through cleaning those deeds up.”
Williams mentioned there are multiple properties in Harlan County that may be tied up in heirs.
The Will Writing and Heirs Property Information Session will be held at the Harlan County Depot at 110 River Street in Harlan on Monday, Sept. 16, from 1:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Harlan County Extension Office at 606-573-4464.