Estate Planning Attorneys

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Estate Planning legal guides

Plain-English answers to common estate planning questions, before you call a lawyer.

• What Happens If You Die Without a Will?

  Without a will, state law picks your heirs, usually your spouse and children first. See who inherits in four states, how probate works and when a small estate can skip it.

• Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills: What They Are and Why You Need One

  An advance healthcare directive is a legal document that records your medical wishes and names who decides for you if you cannot speak for yourself. This guide explains living wills, healthcare proxies, HIPAA, and POLST.

• Executor Duties: A Step-by-Step Guide to Settling an Estate

  An executor settles a deceased person's estate by opening probate, protecting assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing what remains. This guide walks through every duty, the common mistakes, and what executors get paid.

• Beneficiary Designations: The Estate Planning Mistake That Overrides Your Will

  A beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or retirement account passes directly to the named person and overrides your will. This guide explains why, the costly errors people make, and how to keep designations current.

• How to Avoid Probate: 8 Proven Strategies That Actually Work

  Probate can be slow, public, and costly. This guide breaks down 8 practical ways to avoid it — living trusts, TOD/POD accounts, joint ownership, beneficiary designations, and more.

• Will vs. Living Trust: Which Do You Need?

  Nearly everyone needs a will; a living trust pays off when probate, privacy or incapacity planning matter. See California probate fees on $600,000 and 5 states' guardian rules.

• What Is a Living Trust? How It Works and How to Fund It

  A living trust holds your property under terms you can change, but only what you move into it. See who does what, how to fund it asset by asset, and a trustee's first months.

• What Is a Will and How Does It Work?

  A will is a legal document that says who gets your property and who cares for your minor children after you die. Here is how a will works, what it can and cannot do, and how to make one valid in your state.

• What Is a Durable Power of Attorney and Why Do You Need One?

  A durable power of attorney lets someone you trust manage your finances if you become incapacitated, without a court guardianship. Here is how it works, what it covers, and why most estate plans include one.

• How Does Probate Work? A Step-by-Step Guide

  Probate is the court-supervised process of validating a will, paying a deceased person's debts, and transferring what is left to the heirs. This guide walks through each step, the typical timeline, costs, and how to make it easier on your family.

• Estate Planning: A Complete Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Protecting Your Family

  A plain-English overview of estate planning in the United States, including wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, probate, and how to put a plan in place to protect your family.