Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Tuesday, April 8, 1997

Fill-in-the-blank wills
legal, locally available

Is there somewhere in Honolulu that sells "fill-in-the-blank" type wills which are legal and valid for Hawaii residents who do not own any real property or have substantial assets but do have some personal property to bequeath?

We found such a "last will and testament" at Fisher Hawaii in Kakaako, for $1.22 plus tax.

Hawaii adopted a new probate code, effective last Jan. 1, that allows holographic wills, said estate planning attorney Thomas Rulon.

Such a will is acceptable so long as it is in the handwriting of the person making the will, he said.

"You can pick up a fill-in-the-blank form and sign it and it would be valid under the new law, even without witnesses," Rulon said.

He added, however, that "I think it's a good idea to have witnesses anyway in case it is challenged."

Rulon noted the common misconception that you don't have to go through probate (judicial certification) if you have a will. "That's not the case," he said.

"A will is just a simple instruction as to who gets property. The estate still has to go through probate," Rulon said. However, you can avoid probate in certain instances.

"There is a provision that if the total value of an estate is under $60,000, then there is no need for a probate proceeding," Rulon said. "You can go through an affidavit procedure."

Every day and night, nearly all the time, traffic is extremely busy at the intersection of Date Street and Kapahulu Avenue, in front of Jack-in-the-Box. I have witnessed many accidents there during rush hours at both street corners as vehicles made turns. In such a heavy traffic intersection, why is there no "turn on arrow only" signal?

Traffic engineers had been monitoring that intersection because of complaints about turns from both Date and Mooheau streets, said Paul Won, acting division chief for the city Department of Transportation Services' traffic engineering division.

The plan is to widen Date to three lanes, he said: One going left, one straight and one turning right.

There now is a right-turn only lane onto Kapahulu and a lane allowing either a left turn onto Kapahulu or a straight pass into Mooheau.

"We think these changes will help facilitate traffic flow at that intersection," Won said. "However, if it does not, we will try other means, which may require a left-turn arrow."

The project is expected to go out to bid in December and be done early next year.