New Free Services Being Offered For Military Families Of Camden County

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — A new program is providing free estate planning services to military families from Camden County.

The "Veterans Will Clinic" is a free service available to active duty servicemembers, veterans, and their spouses to receive a Last Will and Testament, an Advance Directive for Health Care (Living Will), and Power of Attorney.

"The best way to describe this process is creating peace of mind," Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. told Patch.

The pool of eligible community members is largely composed of established families who have assets, children, and grandchildren, which can also make the process a little more complex.

"One of the largest common misconceptions is that estate planning isn't needed, and nothing could be further from the truth," Cappelli added.

He points to the story of a Gold Star mother and former colleague, Melinda Kane, who took her son to get a will right when he signed up for the United States Marines.

The project cost them thousands of dollars, a price officials in Camden County don't ever want to be seen paid again.

Now, a family can schedule an appointment through the Office of Veteran Affairs and get the same service for free.

"Based on their sacrifice to our nation, we believe as a governing body that this is the least we can do for them," said Cappelli.

Additional members of Gold Star families may also be available for the service.

More information can be found online at the Office of Veterans Affairs website or by calling (856) 374-5801 or 1-800-464-8387.

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