Get your financial/legal affairs in order this year at St. Helena Island library

As the new year begins, we seek to get our homes in order, clear out the junk and spruce up for 2015. The new year is also a good time to get our financial and legal affairs in order. Your libraries want to help.

St. Helena Island library is offering a series of workshops provided by attorneys from the South Carolina Bar Association. Our first workshop, to be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 16, is on family law issues. These issues include divorce, custody and visitation along with issues of child support. Laws and court procedures can seem overwhelming for the average citizen who is caught up in an emotional time in life. Experienced attorneys can explain the process and tell people what to expect. Please bring your questions for discussion.

Our second workshop will be held at 6 p.m. March 16. The focus of the evening will be end of life issues. The questions addressed will be: Who will hold your health care power of attorney if you are too sick to make health care decisions for yourself? What about a complete power of attorney that allows a family member or other person you choose to tend to your affairs for you while you are unable to do so? Do you have or want a living will? What does the approved South Carolina living will contain? Does it reflect your own wishes for end of life care? What about a "do not resuscitate order"? Do you want to be kept alive by artificial means, hoping for a cure or not? If the worst happens, have you left directions for funeral services and for cremation or burial? Do your loved ones know where to find any written directions? Bring your questions about these important issues.

The third workshop at 6 p.m. April 20 will be during the library's Money Smart Week. What could be more money smart than to attend a meeting on wills, estates and probate? Do you have a will? How will your estate be divided? What is probate and how does it affect you and your family?

Our fourth and final workshop is at 6 p.m. May 18 and will focus on landlord/tenant legal issues. If you are a landlord, what rental periods do you offer? Do you expect a damage deposit? Do you expect the tenant to sign a lease? If you are a tenant, what are your responsibilities? Can you have pets? Are utilities included in the rent or do you pay separately? When and under what conditions can the landlord inspect the rental unit? Bring these and other questions May 18.

Library patrons from Beaufort, Lobeco and St. Helena Island libraries are encouraged to join us for any and all of the workshops. Bring friends. Southern Beaufort County patrons from the Bluffton and Hilton Head Island branches are also invited.

Be sure and check our website at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org for all our upcoming programs.

Fran Hays is a reference librarian at the St. Helena Island library.

This story was originally published January 10, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Get your financial/legal affairs in order this year at St. Helena Island library."