IF YOU ARE UNMARRIED, DON’T HAVE KIDS, AND HATE YOUR PARENTS PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HAVE A FUCKING WILL
this has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood probate lawyer
Again:
1. The law doesn’t care how long your parents and family have been out of your life
2. The law doesn’t care about your long term friends or “found family”
If you don’t have legal documents that say otherwise, your biological family calls all the shots.
This goes especially for LGBTQ+. Please do not get deadnamed in your obituary.
How to make a will.
How to make a living will (Advance Healthcare Directive) so you don’t get fucked over by biological family if you end up in a situation where you cannot make your own healthcare choices.
If youre trans, this video is a good ref to start with and she provides links and organizations that can help
^I’ve been loving this channel lately, and this is a particularly good video about how to have your wishes respected after you die if you have family who may NOT respect you/your identity.
Such a good idea to make a plan. And also watch Caitlin’s channel (and read her books).
THIS IS NOT JUST WILLS
Also check up on your Power of Attorney. If you’re in a coma/unresponsive state they divert to legal next of kin.
EVERYONE needs to have a plan. While it is especially important for people who are estranged from their legal next of kin please please please have these conversations with your loved ones. These are so important and the last thing your grieving family needs is to worry they aren’t respecting your wishes (burial or cremation? Do you want to donate your organs? Who do you want to give your belongings to? These are not intuitive concepts and your family will stress of getting it wrong) simply because they didn’t know them.
Also Caitlin Doughty is fucking boss. Just sayn.
The Advance Healthcare Directive is SUPER important. Please make one and keep it updated (they expire every few years). If you are old, are disabled, have any mental health issues, engage in any form of self-harm, or have any history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts, lots of healthcare folks are all too happy to declare you unfit to make decisions for yourself.
Remember that even if you trust them, the people who love you can make really extreme and harmful decisions when they’re scared they could lose you.