Gerald Boyd has a will. The Brookhaven resident plans to updateit, though, after being armed with new will preparation and estateplanning information he received Tuesday.

Boyd felt moved to action by what he heard at an event hosted bythe Jimmy Furlow Senior Citizen Center on Tuesday. The TRIAD eventsaw local attorney Joseph Durr speak to a crowd of senior adultsabout estate planning.

“I’m gonna make myself out a new will,” Boyd said. “I’ve beenthinking a lot about these kind of things. This event was veryinformative.”

Boyd’s current will leaves his possessions to his wife; however,she is no longer alive. Boyd now has a better idea of what hisoptions are as he rewrites his will.

Durr discussed a few of the most significant end of life legalissues: the requirements of a will, how to write a will, whathappens if someone dies without a will and power of attorney.

“Who needs a will? I think everyone does,” said Durr.

Durr also dispelled some common misconceptions.

“If you die without a will, the state will not get yourproperty,” he said.

Durr hears this claim frequently. He explained, though, that insuch a case the estate is divided among the closest livingrelatives.

Durr also described some of the differences of inheritance lawbetween states.

“In Mississippi you cannot disinherit a spouse, but you candisinherit children. That is not the case in Louisiana. Thechildren must get something,” he said.

Tuesday’s event was part of TRIAD’s monthly informative sessionsheld for senior adults.

TRIAD is a partnership between the AARP, the InternationalAssociation of Chiefs of Police and the National SheriffsAssociation.

In 1988, TRIAD began in Louisiana and has since spreadthroughout the nation. TRIAD promotional literature states thatTRIAD seeks “to reduce the criminal victimization of theelderly.”

TRIAD provides education to senior adults and seeks to involveseniors with their local law enforcement.

Every county in Mississippi has its own TRIAD programs.

In Brookhaven, TRIAD holds events at the Furlow center on thesecond Tuesday of every month.

Charles Smith, a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’sDepartment, organizes the events of Brookhaven’s TRIAD.

According to Smith, in Mississippi, TRIAD is partially funded bythe state. One dollar of every traffic ticket goes to supportTRIAD’s programs.

Smith said that TRIAD has been in Mississippi about 10years.

Durr’s speech created a great deal of interest. Many inattendance were newcomers to TRIAD’s monthly programs.

Janice Holmes cannot usually attend TRIAD events due to work.However, Tuesday she was available.

“When I saw this event advertised, I was very interested,”Holmes said.

Boyd had not previously attended TRIAD events either. Durr’sspeech interested him, however, and he now plans to come again toTRIAD programs.