Learning center
Plain-language guides to estate planning and probate
Written for the person doing the work — not the attorney billing for it.
Start here, either way25 MIN · 8 SECTIONS · ALL STATES
The Executor's Field Guide
The role, probate, the timeline, the money, the mistakes, and the human side — the whole arc of settling an estate. Useful before you need it, essential after.
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- 01What you actually are — and what you aren’t
- 02What probate is, why it exists, and what actually happens
- 03What happens, and roughly when
- 04Managing estate money without getting yourself in trouble
- 05The most costly mistakes executors make
- 06The human side of settling an estate
- 07Terms you’ll encounter — defined plainly
- 08What people actually want to know
Someone just died0 LIVE · 3 SOON
You're the executor
A role you didn’t apply for and a process nobody explained. The Field Guide covers the arc; these go deeper on the parts that bite.
ExecutorLetters Testamentary — what they are and how to get themWithout Letters Testamentary no institution will speak to you. What they are, how you get them, and what they let you do.6 minSoon
TaxesThe executor's guide to estate taxesForm 1040, 1041, and 706. Which apply, when they're due, and the cost of missing a deadline.10 minSoon
ExecutorHow to handle family conflict as an executorCompeting interests, demands for early distribution, contested items. How to stay on the right side of the law when family dynamics get difficult.8 minSoon
Nobody has died3 LIVE · 3 SOON
You're planning ahead
Smaller than people fear. The two highest-value pieces take an afternoon each — start with the conversation.
Estate planningThe seven documents every adult needsWill, living trust, durable POA, healthcare POA, advance directive, and more. What each does and what happens without it.8 minPlanning AheadFamily Communication PlaybookHow to talk to your family about end-of-life plans without making it weird. Sample scripts, when to bring it up, what to leave for later.5 minPlanning AheadBeneficiary Designation AuditA practical walkthrough of every account that has a beneficiary you can name, why bypassing probate matters, and how to keep designations current as life changes.5 min
Estate planningHow to choose an executor — and what to tell themThe qualities that matter, who to consider, and the conversation to have before you name someone.7 minSoon
Estate planningDo 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.9 minSoon
Estate planningWhat happens if you die without a willIntestacy laws determine who inherits — and the results are often nothing like what the deceased would have wanted.7 minSoon
Essential concepts
Estate AdministrationTax Year of DeathWhat needs to be filed and by when — final 1040, Form 1041 for the estate, state tax obligations, and the deadlines that actually bite.6 minTrust AdministrationTrustee HandbookThe companion to the executor playbook for the trustee role. Funding, distributions, accounting, beneficiary communication, and tax filings.6 min
Critical conceptBeneficiary designations override your will — completelyThe most misunderstood fact in estate law. Your IRA beneficiary designation overrides your will. Here's what that means.6 minSoon
Business ownersEstate planning for business ownersBuy-sell agreements, succession plans, key-person insurance. What happens to your business when you die — and how to prevent a court from deciding.11 minSoon
Digital assetsCryptocurrency, digital accounts, and your estate20% of all Bitcoin is estimated permanently lost in estates. What your executor needs, how to document access, seed phrase storage.8 minSoon
TaxesStepped-up basis — the most valuable tax benefit in estate lawWhen you inherit an asset your cost basis resets to the date-of-death value. This eliminates decades of unrealized capital gains.6 minSoon
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