Lake County Bar Association

Lake County Bar Association Trusts and Estates Committee work with Habitat for Humanity.
Clients of Habitat for Humanity participate in a lengthy education program where they learn
household and financial management skills, in addition to building their residence. The Trusts
and Estates committee has developed a two part package which is part of the education
program. The first part is a power point presentation where committee members lecture Habitat
for Humanity clients to inform them of how the probate law affects them. We inform them of the
consequences of not preparing a Will and how they can protect and provide for their families by
drafting a Will and Powers of Attorneys for Health Care and Property. We also educate them on
how a trust may be employed to provide for their family. At the end of the lecture, each
participant is given an Estate Planning Profile which they are required to prepare in advance of
their meeting with the volunteers.

In the second part of the Committee’s package, volunteer lawyers, paralegals and law school
students, meet with Habitat clients to draft Wills and Powers of Attorneys. The committee has
developed sample forms that the volunteers can use to draft the documents. Usually on a
Saturday eight to ten families meet with volunteers and within 90 minutes they walk out with a
fully executed estate plan. We found that some of the clients have significant life insurance
policies through their employment and need a trust to properly manage the funds for their
family. NorStates Bank has volunteered to act as trustee when we do draft a Will with a trust,
despite the relatively small trust principal.