Take destiny into your own hands!

We have all heard, in one form or another, about the saga of Anna Nicole Smith -- during life and after. Today, the judge finally made a ruling regarding where Anna's body will be laid to rest—after days of hearing testimonies and exactly two weeks after Anna died. However, the saga is not over. Not only is Anna's mother appealing the decision, but now it will need to be determined who will be the legal guardian of her baby girl (not an easy task especially since it is uncertain who the father is). To add to the complexity, the legal guardian of the baby will probably also be the trustee of her inheritance which would be worth possibly hundreds of millions of dollars (though this, in and of itself, is questionable because the courts have not yet ruled whether Anna was a rightful heir to her late husband's estate – a case that has been going on over a decade).

The tragic thing is… a majority of this saga, stress, sensationalism, and heartache could have been avoided had Anna had a legal will. Especially if you have children, a will stating who the legal guardian for you child(ren) is (are) extremely important. Who will take care of them? Who will provide for them? Godparents are usually assigned when children are first born--- and the main purpose is to guide them in their spiritual upbringing. If we can choose godparents, why not choose who the legal guardians would be if the child(ren) is (are) left orphaned?

Aside from this important fact, why let the courts decide where you will be buried? Why put that additional stress on your loved ones--- especially after they have had to deal with your death. Issues like this causes sever tension and stress among loved ones/family. Besides, wouldn't you want to be in control of your own destiny--- even if it is the destiny of your body after you have passed away? Take the example of Mr. James Brown. He sadly passed away on Christmas Day 2006; yet as of February 22, 2007 – almost 2 months since he passed away—he has not been laid to rest as a result of family members and loved ones fighting over the right to bury him in the place of their choosing. Why did this occur? Because Mr. Brown did not have a will (which is also why the family members and loved ones are fighting over his estate).

Again, why do this? Why leave your destiny and the destiny of what you worked so hard to earn in the hands of a court? Why not take proactive action yourself? If you don't have a lawyer yet, or don't know where to turn, you can go to Elderlawanswers and they will help you choose the right lawyer for your needs in your hometown.

No one should be without a will. No one.

Take destiny into your own hands--- even after death.