Lowell Sun Newspaper
Have a Party, Have a Laugh, Sign a Will

By LISA REDMOND, Sun Staff - Lowell Sun

BILLERICA — James Haroutunian jokes that when he and his wife attend home-based parties for wine tasting, jewelry and skin-care products, he always feels like the death of the party. "I tell people they have money to spend on those things, but they don't have a will," the Billerica attorney said. Wills are important, but they trigger thoughts of death. "I come across as the grim reaper," he joked.

So the 32-year-old Billerica resident had a better idea. He came up with a novel concept borrowed from the success of Tupperware parties — will-signing parties.

Willparties.com, a concept Haroutunian created, brings a legal twist to the Tupperware theme. The process is simple. A host holds a party at home for five or more couples for basic family-estate planning, such as wills for each spouse, power of attorney and health-care proxy. Couples who plan to attend the party are contacted in advance by Haroutunian over the telephone or by e-mail and answer questions so that documents are prepared beforehand. When the couples arrive at the party, the documents are ready to be signed.

The cost is on a sliding scale depending on the number of couples. While the average cost of a will is about $600 when it is drawn up in a lawyer's office, Haroutunian charges $375 per couple for a party with six couples (including the hosts). So far he has had three parties, with five more in the planning stages. He is available nights and weekends at the host's convenience.

Laura Corddry-Kwet, of Billerica, couldn't wait for her party. "My husband and I have been saying for five years, since we had our first child, that this is something we need to do but haven't done it. ... So in this case, I can have friends over for a visit and we can all accomplish something we all need to do," she said.

While all the parties so far have been in Billerica, Haroutunian says he is willing to go statewide. He's even had a call from an Ohio lawyer who wants to talk about a franchise. Haroutunian, a Billerica native, knows from experience that life has a way of taking strange turns. As a student at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, he studied air conditioning and refrigeration, but college soon beckoned. He graduated from Bentley College in 1996 and Suffolk Law School in 1999. He's had his own law practice for more than seven years.

He and his wife, Amy, have a 4-year-old daughter, Isabel, and a 2-year-old son, Jack. As the father of small children, Haroutunian said he saw the need for young couples to have a will, but knew that less than 50 percent of couples do. To prepare a will, couples have to face questions about their own deaths and decide who will raise their children if they die.

"Too many people put off estate planning because of procrastination and fear," he said. "Using a party concept, I've gotten past the taboo of death."  Since many people are intimidated by going to a lawyer's office, Haroutunian, who is based at 630 Boston Road, said going to someone's home for a "party'' is a more comfortable experience. And at a will-signing party, the two witnesses needed for the document are already there.

After the documents are signed, the couples are free to enjoy themselves.

Yes, You Probably Need A Will

WHAT'S A WILL? It's a legal document that determines what happens to your property after your death. It states who receives property and in what amounts.

WHY SHOULD I GET ONE? In addition to distributing property, it may be used to name a guardian for minor children or create a trust and designate a trustee to handle an estate on behalf of children or others.

WHO SHOULD GET ONE? Anyone who owns property -- cash, stocks, jewelry, land, homes, businesses, etc. If married, each spouse should have a will.

WHEN SHOULD I GET ONE? A will should be made when a person is "legally competent" (of sound mind and at least 18 years old).

WHAT IF I DIE WITHOUT ONE? When there is no valid will, a court appoints an administrator to handle the decedent's affairs, and property is distributed according to a formula fixed by law.