From that information, I've learned that making a will is one of the wisest investments of your life—and after. It's one of those life responsibilities that every financial planner, attorney and life insurance agent advises you to do. If you die without a will, your real and personal property will be distributed to your relatives according to a rigid formula fixed by state law. This law makes no exception for those in unusual need, nor does it provide for gifts to non-profit organizations such as the A.R.E.

With a will, you can decide who gets your property, in the proportions you choose, instead of the law making the choice for you. You can name those you want to handle your affairs and administer your estate. You can choose which of your beneficiaries is to pay the estate taxes. Also, if you plan properly, you may even lower your tax burden and leave more to those you care about.

As one of the core group responsible for manifesting and maintaining our current Center, I'm well aware of the need for our organization to have reliable sources of income, especially now as we develop the business plan for our "enriched" Center. The A.R.E. Office of Development provides valuable information on pre-paring various kinds of bequests. However, when it comes to wills, you must "act locally," whether you wish to make a bequest to the international A.R.E. or to A.R.E. of New York.

Each state sets the formal requirements for a legal will. Laws vary from state to state, and New York has many unique provisions. To be certain that your will meets the legal requirements of New York (or New Jersey or Connecticut), you need the advice of an expert who knows the state law governing estates. Even if you get books, pre-printed forms and computer programs, you still might not understand the complexities of transferring various kinds of property and meeting your state's legal requirements.

To help, I've set a free seminar where A.R.E. members and friends can receive expert advice on wills from financial and legal specialists. The goal of this seminar is to make it easy for us to meet this life responsibility at a time when there have been many changes in the laws concerning estate taxes. Topics to be addressed include:

• The importance of having a legal, up-to-date will and how to go about preparing one.
• Opportunities to realize tax and investment advantages now for charitable gifts while living, such as Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities.
• How to choose experts to advise you and the kind of information you'll need to provide.
• How to word charitable bequests to avoid confusion, misunderstanding.

• How to change your will to reflect a change in your life or financial circumstances.

Meet the specialists:

· Evan Sarzin, a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of N. Y. and the N. Y. State Bar Association who practices general law in N.Y.C. His areas of concentration include trusts and estate planning, laws providing for lifetime charitable donations and bequests and the creation of gifting programs to reduce estate tax. He also specializes in real estate including plans for transfer of commercial real estate within the family.

· Gary Matthews, PhD, CPA, a financial consultant with Progressive Asset Management, a national organization of Socially Responsible Investing professionals. In addition to his more than 20 years of business experience, he received a Ph.D. in social ethics from Union Theological Seminary and teaches courses in ethics at Drew University in N. J.