Estates, Wills, & Guardianships

Learn how to deal with another person's estate after they die, including steps for handling property, debts, and the succession or probate process.

Learn how to draft and sign a will to make sure it clearly reflects your wishes and meets all legal requirements to be valid.

Learn about funeral and burial issues to understand your rights, make plans in advance, and ensure your wishes, or those of loved ones, are legally followed after death.

Understand how a court can appoint someone to make personal, medical, or financial decisions for a person who can't manage on their own.

Understand how you can make decisions in advance about the medical care you want - or don't want - if you become terminally ill and can't speak for yourself.

Learn how to make a will and estate plan to ensure your property goes to the people you choose, name guardians for your children, and make legal arrangements for managing your affairs if you become unable to do so.

Learn about powers of attorney and advance directives to make plans for who will make decisions about your health care and finances if you become incapacitated or seriously ill.

Learn about trusts to understand how they can manage and protect assets during your life and after death, often avoiding probate and offering more control than will alone.

Learn how to update your will through a codicil to make small changes, like adding or removing a beneficiary, without creating a whole new will.