A curated collection of tools, guides, and trusted external resources to help your family navigate estate planning. Everything here has been vetted for accuracy and usefulness — no fluff, no sponsored listings.
Start With Our Guides
If you’re new to estate planning, these are the best places to begin on this site:
| Guide | Best For |
|---|---|
| My Parents Are Getting Older | Just starting to think about estate planning for your family |
| We Need a Plan Now | A health scare, diagnosis, or other urgent situation |
| Settling an Estate | A parent has passed and you need practical next steps |
| Having the Family Conversation | Ready to bring up estate planning with your parents |
| What Is a Living Trust? | Want to understand the foundation of most estate plans |
Deep-Dive Topics
| Topic | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|
| How to Avoid Probate | Every method for keeping your family out of probate court |
| Estate Tax, Gift Tax & What Your Family Owes | Federal and state taxes, exemptions, and the 2026 sunset |
| How to Fund a Living Trust | The step everyone forgets — actually moving assets into your trust |
| The 5 Documents Every Family Needs | Trust, will, POA, healthcare directive, beneficiary review |
| Protecting Your Parents’ Legacy | Long-term care, Medicaid, blended families, the bigger picture |
| Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts | The fundamental choice — which type is right for your family |
| Gift Tax & Annual Exclusions | How to give while you’re alive — without triggering taxes |
| Trust vs. Will | Side-by-side comparison to help you decide what your family needs |
Government & Legal Resources
These are the authoritative sources we reference throughout the site. Bookmark the ones relevant to your state.
Federal Resources
- IRS — Estate Tax Overview — Federal estate tax rules, exemption amounts, filing requirements
- IRS — Gift Tax Overview — Annual exclusion amounts, lifetime exemption, reporting requirements
- IRS — Estate and Gift Taxes (Main Page) — Forms, FAQs, and publications
- Social Security Administration — Survivor benefits, reporting a death, benefit eligibility
- Medicaid.gov — Federal Medicaid information (state programs vary widely)
- CFPB — Resources for Older Adults — Financial protection resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Find an Attorney
- American Bar Association — Find Legal Help — Locate your state bar association’s lawyer referral service
- ACTEC Fellow Directory — American College of Trust and Estate Counsel — board-certified estate planning specialists
- NAELA — National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys — Find an elder law attorney in your area
- National Elder Law Foundation — Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) directory
Advance Directive & Healthcare Forms
- CaringInfo — State-Specific Advance Directives — Free advance directive forms for every state (from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)
- National POLST — Information about Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment programs by state
Nonprofit & Educational Organizations
- Nolo — Estate Planning Legal Encyclopedia — Plain-English legal information (independently published, not a law firm)
- AARP — Caregiving Resources — Guides for family caregivers, including legal and financial planning
- Aging with Dignity — “Five Wishes” advance directive — an easy-to-understand healthcare planning document
- Eldercare Locator — U.S. Administration on Aging resource to find local aging services
- National Institute on Aging — Getting Your Affairs in Order — Government guide to organizing legal, financial, and healthcare documents
Estate Planning Checklists
Documents to Gather Before Meeting an Attorney
Having these ready will save you time and money at your first consultation:
- Current will, trust, or estate planning documents (if any exist)
- Deeds to any real estate
- Recent bank and investment account statements
- Life insurance policies
- Retirement account statements (401k, IRA, pension)
- Business ownership documents (if applicable)
- Existing powers of attorney or healthcare directives
- Beneficiary designation forms for accounts and policies
- Most recent tax return
- List of debts and liabilities
Questions to Ask an Estate Planning Attorney
Before you hire anyone, ask these questions:
- How many estate plans do you create per year?
- Do you specialize in estate planning, or is it one of many practice areas?
- What’s included in your flat fee (trust, will, POA, healthcare directive)?
- Will you help with funding the trust (retitling assets)?
- Do you offer a trust review or update service for when laws change?
- How do you handle blended family situations?
- What happens if I need to make changes later?
For more on working with attorneys, see our How to Avoid Probate guide and your state-specific page.
After the Estate Plan Is Signed
Creating the documents is only half the work. Don’t forget to:
- Fund the trust — retitle real estate, bank accounts, and investment accounts into the trust name (see How to Fund a Living Trust)
- Update beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and payable-on-death accounts
- Store originals in a fireproof safe or safe deposit box — and tell your successor trustee where they are
- Give copies of powers of attorney and healthcare directives to the named agents
- Review and update the plan every 3-5 years, or after major life events (marriage, divorce, birth, death, significant asset change)
- Have the family conversation — make sure your loved ones know the plan exists and where to find it (see Having the Family Conversation)
Books Worth Reading
These are books that helped me understand estate planning when I was going through the process with my own parents. They’re written for regular people, not lawyers.
- The Living Trust Advisor by Jeffrey L. Condon — Practical, plain-English guide focused on what happens after the trust is created
- Estate Planning for Dummies by N. Brian Caverly and Jordan S. Simon — Comprehensive overview that doesn’t assume prior knowledge
- Beyond the Grave by Gerald M. Condon and Jeffrey L. Condon — Focuses on the family dynamics and emotional side of estate planning
- Get It Together by Melanie Cullen and Shae Irving (Nolo Press) — Workbook-style guide for organizing all your important documents
Know of a resource that should be on this page?
I’m always looking for high-quality, family-friendly estate planning resources to add here. If you’ve found something genuinely helpful — a government tool, a nonprofit guide, a book that made things click — let me know. I vet everything personally before adding it.