The San Diego County Bar Association in partnership with the Wills for Heroes Foundation, is offering free wills and estate planning services to eligible first responders and licensed frontline healthcare workers (“heroes”) in San Diego and Imperial Counties from Oct. 17 through Nov. 14.
During last year’s event, 19 local estate planning attorneys assisted 51 heroes with their estate planning on a pro bono basis. The 2023 event is expected to attract even more volunteer attorneys with the capacity to serve hundreds of heroes in both regions. These legal services will be provided remotely via conference call or video platform. Heroes can apply to receive free estate planning services here.
SDCBA is a professional association for lawyers, that has provided free wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives to first responders and their spouses or partners throughout San Diego County through the Wills for Heroes program.
These heroes — firefighters, law enforcement, and paramedics, as well as COVID-19 healthcare professionals — selflessly give their all to keep us safe. Many still don’t have a will, durable power of attorney, or advance health care directive. The Wills for Hero program aims to give first-responders and their families the peace of mind.
The complete list of those eligible to apply for this free service includes firefighters, paramedics, EMT/EMS professionals, police officers, and correctional and probation officers, and, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, licensed healthcare professionals, including local doctors, RNs, LPNs, PAs, CNAs, technicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, residents, interns, and medical students.
Participants qualify if they have an estate and net worth valued at less than $500,000. Net worth consists of cash, personal property, stock and bonds, real estate (equity only), savings, cash value of life insurance policy, and retirement assets like a 401(k) or an IRA. Heroes whose net worth exceeds $500,000 can be matched to an estate planning lawyer through the SDCBA’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service to pay for this service.
