Transformative Will & Heirship Clinic Empowers Eastern Kentucky Residents

This fall, the Perry County Extension Service, in collaboration with LIKEN's Land & Revenues Program and Kentucky State University Community Resource Development Office, hosted a free Will & Heirship Clinic at the Perry County Extension Office.

Participants had the invaluable opportunity to sit down with a lawyer and draft or revise their wills at no cost. The clinic aimed to combat the creation of heirs’ property and to prevent the fractionalization of existing heirs’ property, a common issue in eastern Kentucky. By providing these services, families were able to better preserve their ownership, gain control over their land, and become eligible for USDA grants for land utilization, while also minimizing the risk of future familial disputes over property.

The workshop was attended by eighteen individuals, all of whom left with legally drafted wills. Two participants, who were embroiled in an heirs’ dispute, received assistance from the Appalachian Heirs’ Property Coalition to initiate the process of obtaining clear titles for their inherited property.

Attendees gained crucial knowledge about the significance of estate planning and learned about the availability of affordable local legal services, particularly concerning heirs' property. Impressively, five participants went beyond drafting wills to establish powers of attorney and develop living wills.