HARRISBURG (Sept. 1, 2011) - Lawyers, notaries, paralegals and other volunteers will provide free wills and other estate planning documents to Delaware and Montgomery County police officers, firefighters and other first responders and their spouses and significant others during a day-long "Wills for Heroes" session on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Bryn Mawr Fire Company, 901 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.

The session is presented by the Montgomery Bar Association in partnership with the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

Each first responder and spouse/significant other participating in the program will receive notarized legal documents, including a will, healthcare directive and financial power of attorney, at the conclusion of a one-hour appointment.

First responders selflessly devote their lives to serving their communities. Despite the inherently dangerous nature of their jobs, state and national first responder organizations estimate an overwhelmingly large number of first responders - approximately 80 - 90% - do not have wills.

Space for the Sept. 24 session is limited and appointments will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. To register, go to www.pabar.org/public/yld. Questions can be directed to Lisa Shearman, Plotnick & Ellis P.C., Jenkintown, at [email protected]. For additional information about the "Wills for Heroes" program, go to www.willsforheroes.org.

More about the Wills for Heroes Program

The Wills for Heroes program was founded by Anthony Hayes, a South Carolina lawyer who wanted to do something meaningful to help the country after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He met with South Carolina firefighters and noted a glaring need for estate planning services.

The Wills for Heroes program was initiated in Pennsylvania by Daniel McKenna, a Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr attorney and board member and current president of the Wills for Heroes Foundation. The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division adopted Wills for Heroes as one of its statewide public service projects in spring 2009.

Wills for Heroes events are being held in Pennsylvania communities upon request of leaders from local police, fire, and emergency medical personnel organizations and upon request of county bar associations. On a scheduled day, a team of lawyers bring computer laptops to a police station, firehouse, or meeting hall and spend at least an hour with each participant who pre-registers to attend the event.

A participant sits with a lawyer to review a questionnaire that the participant has filled out in advance. Answers are entered into a computer-based program. The lawyer reviews the resulting document with the participant to ensure its accuracy. After any necessary corrections are made, the will is printed, signed, and notarized.

Upon request, lawyer volunteers also will work with each participant to prepare an advance medical directive, often called a "living will," which specifies what actions should be taken for the participant's health in the event that he or she can no longer make decisions due to illness or incapacity. In addition, lawyers will prepare a durable power of attorney, a document that gives another person legal authority to act on behalf of the participant if the participant becomes incapacitated. These documents also are offered at no cost to participants.

More information about this program is posted at the Wills for Heroes Foundation website (http://www.willsforheroes.org) and projects section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division web pages (http://www.pabar.org/public/yld).