RBA Peace of Mind Project

In 2014, the Roanoke Bar Association implemented the Peace of Mind Project, which provides free estate documents for first responders in Roanoke.  RBA members who specialize in estate planning have been asked to prepare basic wills, advanced medical directives, and powers of attorney for firefighters and police officers who put their lives on the line every day for the citizens in our community.

The 2014 Peace of Mind Project concentrated on firefighters who serve the Roanoke City Fire Department.  The 2015 Peace of Mind Project will focus on police officers serving Roanoke City whose estate planning needs fit the program requirements. The program is designed to provide the following:

• Either a simple will with contingent trust for minor children or outright bequest to adult children for married first responders, or a simple trust for minor children or outright bequest to adult children, parents or siblings for non-maried first responders. If the first responder is married and the facts allow for the his/her spouse to be accommodated with a “mirror image” or “flip” plan, the spouse’s plan will be included at no charge as well.
• Advanced medical directives
• Powers of attorney

Any first responder with complicating factors, such as meaningful assets in excess of $500,000, an interest in a private company or some other factor which would not follow the above criteria would not be eligible for the complementary program.

Registration (below) is open to those officers previously approved by the Roanoke City Police Department and will be available through February 13, 2015.  Once enrolled, the officer will receive an email with the contact information for the attorney who has been assigned to him/her. It will be the officer’s responsibility to contact the attorney to set up the first appointment to begin the process.