VALDOSTA — How many executors can one have to oversee their Last Will and Testament? Does a witness to a will have a requirement to know what’s in the will before they sign? And is there any government help available for homeowners in a medical crisis who are trying to avoid foreclosure?

These and many more questions were fielded by attorneys, insurance agents and cooperative extension specialists during the Housing Education and Long Term Planning Workshop held at the Rainwater Conference Center on July 10.

The seminars, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., were sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency and Fort Valley State University Cooperative Extension Program.

The Valdosta event was the third staged in the state by the sponsors and was as successful as the first two, in Peach and Hancock counties, according to Keishon J. Thomas, extension housing specialist at Fort Valley State’s Cooperative Extension office.

So successful, in fact, that Thomas pledged to continue pursuit of more grant money to pay for staging more of the useful seminars in rural areas across Georgia.

“Residents in rural counties don’t have access to this kind of information,” Thomas said. “When you tell people they can get free legal advice on such important matters, they will come out. I am ecstatic about the turnout in Valdosta today. The initial feedback from attendees confirms how helpful this is, and that is our goal. No one enjoys talking about their ultimate demise, but people know that with good planning ahead of time, they can avoid stressful emergency situations.”

The well-structured event was bolstered by free packets loaded with information that were passed to attendees. The packets and accompanying talks covered subjects ranging from managing estates, wills, insurance as a long-term resource, homeownership and foreclosure prevention, how to protect assets in Medicaid recovery, reverse mortgages and more.

Valdosta City Councilman Willie Head and Lowndes County Commissioner Edgar Roberts welcomed the event’s more than 100 attendees and stuck around to take notes of their own on the important material.

Attendees were mostly older folks, many of who offered up common questions faced when planning the disbursement of estates and property to loved ones in the inevitable event of their passing.

As a facilitator passed a microphone to the answer seekers, Karla Walker, an attorney with the law firm of Copeland, Haughabrook and Walker responded with straight forward, legalese-free responses.

“You can have three executors (to oversee a will). You can choose three of your children,” Walker answered one questioner. “I always advise that you have more than one executor in case one dies.”

Another question addressed whether a witness to a will should or is required to know the contents of the will before singing the will.

Anything but, Walker said. Witnesses do not and should not be allowed to see the contents of a personal will. They are only signing a will as a witness that the person making the will is of sound mind to do so, Walker said.

“I often have support staff in my office witness a will because often times family members can’t get off work during the day to make it down to the office to sign as a witness,” Walker explained.

And if you out-live the witnesses who signed your will, you would best avoid any potential challenge in probate by getting the will updated with new witnesses, a simple procedure, Walker said.