Plain-language guides to estate planning and probate
Written for the person doing the work — not the attorney billing for it.
The Executor's Field Guide
Eight sections covering the full arc of settling an estate — the role, probate, timeline, finances, mistakes, and the human side.
The seven documents every adult needs
Will, living trust, durable POA, healthcare POA, advance directive, and more. What each does and what happens without it.
How to choose an executor — and what to tell them
The qualities that matter, who to consider, and the conversation to have before you name someone.
Beneficiary designations override your will — completely
The most misunderstood fact in estate law. Your IRA beneficiary designation overrides your will. Here's what that means.
The Executor's Field Guide
Eight sections covering the full arc of settling an estate — the role, probate, timeline, finances, mistakes, and the human side.
Letters Testamentary — what they are and how to get them
Without Letters Testamentary no institution will speak to you. What they are, how you get them, and what they let you do.
The executor's guide to estate taxes
Form 1040, 1041, and 706. Which apply, when they're due, and the cost of missing a deadline.
The seven documents every adult needs
Will, living trust, durable POA, healthcare POA, advance directive, and more. What each does and what happens without it.
How to choose an executor — and what to tell them
The qualities that matter, who to consider, and the conversation to have before you name someone.
Beneficiary designations override your will — completely
The most misunderstood fact in estate law. Your IRA beneficiary designation overrides your will. Here's what that means.
Do you actually need a living trust?
Trusts avoid probate and manage incapacity — but they're not right for everyone. The five situations where one makes a real difference.
What happens if you die without a will
Intestacy laws determine who inherits — and the results are often nothing like what the deceased would have wanted.
Estate planning for business owners
Buy-sell agreements, succession plans, key-person insurance. What happens to your business when you die — and how to prevent a court from deciding.
Cryptocurrency, digital accounts, and your estate
20% of all Bitcoin is estimated permanently lost in estates. What your executor needs, how to document access, seed phrase storage.
Stepped-up basis — the most valuable tax benefit in estate law
When you inherit an asset your cost basis resets to the date-of-death value. This eliminates decades of unrealized capital gains.
How to handle family conflict as an executor
Competing interests, demands for early distribution, contested items. How to stay on the right side of the law when family dynamics get difficult.
See what your family would face — in 30 seconds
Run our free 9-question simulation to find out exactly what would happen if you died tomorrow.