It isn't unusual for veterans, in their life after service, to find that navigating the complex legalese of military benefits, wills and estate planning is thoroughly confusing. However, Virginia has a plan to help make these things a little less burdensome. Starting next year, four statewide legal service clinics will be offered to low-income veterans totally free of cost.
News Channel 3 reported that the clinics will come in the form of a partnership between the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and the Virginia State Bar. Volunteers from the Office of the Attorney General and the state bar association will help veterans draft wills, establish powers of attorney and sort out medical and insurance problems.
"Wills, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives can provide veterans, their partners, and families with peace of mind and planning for the future, and we're proud to serve these Virginians who have fought for this great nation and the American people," said Attorney General Herring, according to News Channel 3.
"Veterans are true heroes who, without question, put their lives at risk to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Virginians and Americans. The very least we can do to honor their service to our country is volunteer our time to prove these critical legal services," he continued.
The new legal clinics are expected to prove particularly useful to older veterans. But they will also assist a wide range of former servicemembers. According to WTOP, more than half of Americans haven't written wills or put together estate planning documents. If that disparity is applied to Virginia's 800,000 veterans, the necessity of the legal clinics becomes clear.
"It's a cost many of our veterans may not be able to afford, especially if they are older Virginians or students on a fixed income. But it doesn't mean that these documents are any less important. Our veterans deserve the peace of mind that these legal services offer," Herring told WTOP.