You've thought about who would raise your children if something happened to you. But thinking about it and actually naming someone in a legal document are two very different things. If your family doesn't have an answer in writing, and something unexpected happens to you, a judge who has never met you or your children will make that decision. Here's what you need to know, and what you can do about it today. Read more...

When a spouse dies, most surviving partners expect grief. They do not expect a tax bill. The "widow penalty" is a real and largely unrecognized consequence of losing a spouse that can cost a surviving partner thousands of dollars more every year in taxes and Medicare premiums, at the worst possible moment in their life. Here is what it is, who it affects, and what you can do now, while there is still time to plan. Read more...

You created your estate plan documents, thinking you did the right thing. But then your loved ones are left dealing with a time-consuming, expensive mess you left them. Why? Read more...

Tony Hsieh sold Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion and built one of the most admired companies in America. When he died at 46 without a will or a trust, his family was left to sort out an estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Publicly, slowly, and painfully. What happened next is a lesson everyone who has something to protect should read. Read more...

You may think estate planning is about who gets what after you die. It is also about who stays safe, housed, informed, and protected in the days after a loss. The reported story of Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé shows how grief can turn into legal chaos when a family is left without a clear plan. Read more…

Your tax return is the most complete picture of your financial life you'll get all year. But most people close the folder without asking one critical question: if something happened to you tomorrow, are the people you love actually protected? Here's how to answer it before the window closes. Read more…

When you die without a solid plan, you don't always just leave behind grief. You might leave behind years of court battles and paperwork that can drain everything you worked to build and hand it to a young adult who has no idea where to start. This is exactly what happened to Anne Heche's family. Read more...

A Michigan court case shows what happens when a parent dies and no one thought to plan for it. The child had a chronic medical condition, a contentious custody history, and relatives scrambling to get legal authority just to manage her care. The court battle that followed could have gone very differently without years of documented evidence. Here's what every parent needs to know before something like this happens to their family. Read more...

Your partner could be barred from your hospital room – not by hospital policy, but by law. Without a marriage certificate, the person you love most may have no legal authority over your health, your home, or anything you've built together. Here's what unmarried couples need to know. Read more...

You trust your spouse completely. But if you're in a blended family and your estate plan simply says "everything goes to my spouse," your own children could end up with nothing – not because anyone meant harm, but because ownership changes everything. Read more…

Retirement accounts follow different rules from other assets you may own. After you die, the people you love most may face unexpected tax burdens if you don’t understand how the rules work. Read more...

A living trust offers immediate protection and probate avoidance, but understanding how it works and whether it fits your goals is essential to making the right choice. Read more...

Creating a trust in your will might sound like good planning, but understanding what you're actually trying to accomplish matters more than the type of trust you choose. Read more...

If your estate plan is years old, or you did it yourself, you may call an attorney asking for a quick, low-cost review of your estate planning documents, thinking it’s a quick and easy process. The reality is that an estate plan review is (or should be) more complicated than most people think. Read more...

Understanding the tax implications of different inherited assets can help you structure your estate to minimize your beneficiaries' tax burden. Read more...

Naming guardians in your will isn't enough to fully protect your children if something happens to you. Discover the 10 most common guardianship mistakes parents make and how a comprehensive Kids Protection Plan can provide complete peace of mind. Read more…

Many people worry about leaving debt behind for their loved ones, but the reality of what happens to debt after death is more complex than you likely realize. Read more...

What happens when one person has over 100 heirs? Whether you’re worth $17 billion or not, a thoughtful plan is essential to ensure your wealth – and your values – are passed on the way you intend. Read more…

Every year, billions of dollars quietly sit with state governments, unclaimed and forgotten. Learn how proper estate planning keeps what you own from getting lost. Read more…

Probate can delay access to money, property, and answers when families need them most. Read more...