Wills for Heroes provides free basic estate planning documents for First Responders throughout Minnesota. First Responders include current and retired police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs, correction officers and the spouse/domestic partners or widows/widowers of such personnel. To date, we have preapared estate plans for 7,022 Minnesota First Responders and their significant others.

Wills for Heroes was started after 9/11 by Anthony Hayes, a young lawyer from South Carolina. He realized the critical need of assisting emergency personnel and their families in preparing basic estate planning documents to protect themselves and their families. Minnesota became the 5th state to launch a Wills for Heroes program, in 2007 and has events planned through 2015. We are part of the Minnesota Volunteer Attorney Program and sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association.

To support emergency personnel in our community who are prepared to pay the ultimate price in the line of duty, Wills for Heroes provides volunteer attorneys who give FREE LEGAL SERVICE in preparation of basic estate planning documents When a First Responder (and significant other) leaves a clinic, they carry with them a Will, Health Care Directive, Power of Attorney and suggested beneficairy designation language.

If you would like to learn more about Minnesota’s Wills for Heroes Program, please take a look at the website, http://www2.mnbar.org/willsfor heroes/index.asp, or contact either: Andrea Bischoff (612-672-3406) andrea.bischoff@maslon.com; or Susan Link (612-672-8349) susan.link@maslon.com.