Andrea

Andrea Ferraro is a member of Queen of Heaven Parish in Uniontown. She is a professor of Public Relations in the School of Business at the University of Mount Union.

A few years ago, Andrea Ferraro’s fiancé was diagnosed with cancer and passed away unexpectedly. Unfortunately, he died without a will, and his estate had to go through probate.

“Probate is such a long, difficult process on its own, but it is even worse when you are dealing with grief,” says Andrea. “At that time, I did not have a will, and his death made me think I would need
a will.”

Like most people, Andrea thought obtaining a will would be a long, complicated process involving an attorney. Then she started to hear about the availability of online tools, though she questioned whether they were legal or credible. An article in the Northeast Ohio Catholic magazine about estate planning provided resources for creating a will, with FreeWill listed as a tool.

Andrea did a little investigating of her own and decided she would try the FreeWill online tool. “It was very, very simple. The instructions were easy to understand and took me through the process of designing my will. I finished within a half hour!” says Andrea. “The FreeWill online tool also allowed me to make a bequest to my church and my favorite Catholic causes and charities. I recommend it to all adults, no matter their age.”

More than 70% of adults do not have a will – a statistic that Andrea found staggering. She says, “You just don’t know when the Lord will call you home. You should be prepared. I think it is responsible to have a will - there are no questions about your last wishes, so it is very helpful to your family. It really is our last parting gift here on earth.”