The Dead Man's Guide to Estate Planning

Résumé du livre

Most people don't avoid estate planning because they don't care. They avoid it because nobody made it make sense. The Dead Man's Guide to Estate Planning is a straight-talking walkthrough of wills, trusts, guardianship, Medicaid planning, probate, and asset protection - written by a Missouri estate planning attorney who has watched families torn apart by the plans they never made. Attorney Patrick Nolan draws on hundreds of real client situations to answer the questions families actually ask: What happens to my kids if something happens to me? How do I keep an ex-spouse away from my child's inheritance? Will a nursing home take everything I've built? What legal documents does my eighteen-year-old actually need? The book covers seven critical areas: why estate planning matters at every age, the core documents every family needs, planning for specific life stages from new parents to business owners, guardianship for minor children, Medicaid and long-term care strategy, how probate actually works in practice, and asset protection before trouble arrives. Rooted in Missouri law but built on principles that apply nationwide, the guide is designed for two audiences: Missouri residents who can apply every concept directly, and families in any state who need a plain-English framework for the conversations they should be having with their own attorneys. This is not a DIY kit or a fill-in-the-blank template - it's the education that turns you into an informed client who asks better questions and makes faster decisions. A US Army combat veteran and former reporter, Nolan writes the way he practices - Just a practical guide to protecting the people you'd take care of if you were still here.