Wills, Probate & Estates
How to Write a Will: A Plain-English Walkthrough
Writing a will is an afternoon of work, not a legal ordeal. Here are the eight steps, what makes the document actually valid, and the signing mistakes that quietly void one.
Journal
Notes on planning ahead
Short, practical writing on planning ahead — what to record, how to talk about it, and how a planner works alongside a will.
End-of-Life Planning
How to Talk to Aging Parents About Their Plans
Bringing up wills, documents, and wishes with aging parents rarely goes well when it arrives as an ambush. Here are seven openings that actually work, the phrases to avoid, and how to keep it going over time.
Wills, Probate & Estates
Choosing an Executor: Who Should Settle Your Estate?
The executor does the slow, unglamorous work of settling an estate. Here is what the job actually involves, the nine questions worth asking before you name someone, and how to set them up to succeed.
Important Documents & Digital Legacy
What Happens to Social Media When You Die?
Social media accounts outlive the people who made them. Here is how memorialisation works on the major platforms, who is allowed to close an account, and how to leave instructions your family can actually act on.
Funerals & Final Wishes
Advance Directive vs Living Will: What Is the Difference?
A living will records the treatment you would want; a healthcare proxy names who speaks for you. Together they form an advance directive — here is what each one covers and how to put both in place.
After a Death
Death Certificate Copies: How Many Does a Family Need?
Certified death certificate copies unlock almost every task after a death. Here is how many to order, who insists on an original, what they cost, and how to get more if you run short.
Funerals & Final Wishes
Funeral Planning Checklist: 12 Decisions to Make Early
A practical funeral planning checklist: the twelve decisions every family faces, what each one typically costs, and how writing your preferences down now spares the people you love from guessing later.
After a Death
Who to Notify When Someone Dies: The Complete List
A clear, practical list of who to notify when someone dies — family, government agencies, banks, insurers, and accounts — with a simple way to keep track so nothing is missed.
After a Death
What to Do When Someone Dies: 12 Calm, Practical Steps
A gentle, practical checklist for what to do when someone dies — the first hours, the first week, who to notify, and the documents you will need — so you can move one careful step at a time.
Wills, Probate & Estates
Dying Without a Will: What Happens to Your Estate
If you die without a will, your state’s intestacy law decides who inherits, who raises your children, and who settles your affairs. Here is what that really looks like — and the short list of steps that prevents it.