Plain-language guides to help you understand estate planning. Whether you're just starting to think about a plan or ready to act, we have a resource for where you are.
Estate planning looks different depending on where you are in life. Start with the guide that fits your situation.
The essentials every parent of minor children should put in writing: guardians, life insurance, basic documents, and what to update as your family grows.
HomeownersWhen you own real estate, estate planning gets more complex. How to keep your home out of probate, plan for a second property, and protect your family from court entanglements.
Pre-Retirees & RetireesThe questions that come into focus as retirement approaches: long-term care, Medicaid asset protection, beneficiary updates, and ensuring your plan reflects your current life.
High-Net-WorthWhen your estate exceeds federal or state exemption thresholds, additional tools come into play: tax planning, gifting strategies, irrevocable trusts, and business succession.
Focused guides on specific estate planning concepts. Each one covers a single topic in depth, practical and plain-language, structured around the questions families actually ask.
What probate is, the process, timeline, costs, and the practical ways families avoid it. Plus ancillary probate for multi-state property.
Decision GuideThe full comparison of wills and trusts. What each does, key differences on probate and privacy, and how complete plans use both together.
Often OverlookedHow beneficiary forms work, why they override your will, common mistakes, and when to name a trust as beneficiary.
In DepthHow a trust actually works, the critical step of funding it, when it makes sense, and how revocable trusts differ from irrevocable.
TerminologyWhat people mean by the term family trust, how it maps to a revocable living trust, and where it carries a specific technical meaning.
Incapacity PlanningFinancial and healthcare POAs. What each does, how to choose who serves, and the durable vs. springing decision.
End-of-LifeWhat advance directives cover, the common medical decisions involved, talking to family, and coordinating with a healthcare POA.
Modern AssetsWhat counts, why crypto is different, custody and wallets, the drafting rules that protect both the asset and the key, and the tax treatment at death.
