Financial Empowerment Center offers free legacy planning help for families

The City of San Antonio’s Financial Empowerment Center is offering clients a free online will and guidance on legacy planning, a step that can spare families added stress, unexpected costs and difficult decisions after a death.

A will can determine who inherits property or money, who cares for minor children or pets, and how funeral-related matters are handled. Without one, relatives may be left guessing a loved one’s wishes.

“There’s also frustrations,” said Krystal Bermea, program manager for the center. “There’s, of course, the sadness that comes with the loss of a family member, and a lot of family members are, ‘What do I do? What did mom, dad want? What’s the plan?’”

Bermea said families without a plan can also face unexpected expenses.

Alexandria Sancho got help from the center to fill out her mother’s will. Her mother worried about her belongings and her children, Sancho said, and wanted to keep the family from fighting after her death.

“She just wants it to be an easy process,” Sancho said. “She doesn’t want anyone to have disagreements.”

Center clients can use the will website for free. Others pay a fee. Hiring an attorney to draft a will can cost hundreds of dollars, making the free option a starting point for people who may not otherwise have a plan.

To begin, clients should gather the legal names and birth dates of their beneficiaries and a list of their assets. Financial counselors can explain the process but cannot fill out the will because it is a legal document, Bermea said. She encouraged clients to ask close family members to help.

After the will is completed online, it should be printed, signed and notarized. Many banks and credit unions offer free notary services to customers.

Bermea said people should tell trusted family members the will exists and where it is stored. “We highly encourage to not keep it a secret like the way the movies do where it’s that grand reveal,” she said.

The notarized will can be filed with the probate court office in the basement of the Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa St. Filing costs $1 per page. Bermea said people should also keep their own copy, and that storing the original at the courthouse protects it from disasters such as floods or fires.

Sancho said the process was fairly simple and she encourages other families to complete it.

“I love all sides of our family, but we just never know if it might turn bad,” she said. “Now that it’s completed and it’s what Mom says, it goes. It’s just better that way.”

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