During this transition between deciding to end your marriage and the finalization of your divorce, not having an estate plan—or not updating a plan you created with your spouse—can prove especially risky.

When parents designate a guardian for their children, they can choose whether to have the same person be guardian over both person and property or whether to give these separate roles to separate people. In this blog post, we provide a framework for choosing a guardian of property—which can be either a conservator (if you do not have a trust in place) or a trustee (if you do have a trust in place).

I’m inviting you to “the most important and costly conversation America isn’t having”—the conversation about how we want to die. You see, while 75% of Americans say they want to die at home, only 25% of us do. End-of-life care can be incredibly expensive and can bankrupt estates and families. Something needs to change—and change starts with awareness. So, I’m challenging you to dedicate the conversation over one dinner (or happy hour, or nightcap) to the question of how you want to die.

The most important planning decision you will make as a parent is choosing the legal guardian for your minor child. In fact, many parents report that they delay making an estate plan because they simply hit a wall when they consider this question. It is painful to imagine someone else raising your children. But failing to pick a guardian means a court will choose one for you—and it may not be the person you think is best. . . . Don’t wait. An estate planner can provide helpful guidance as you consider who to designate.

There are endless ways to say goodbye to a place. Whatever you do, take a moment before you leave.

When you were pregnant, you meticulously watched your diet and researched the safety ratings of all the car seats. When your baby was born, you bought BPA-free bottles and toys. And unlike your parents in the 80s and 90s, you put a helmet on your kid when they learned how to scooter or bike.

When it comes to your child, you leave nothing to chance.

Except—if you don’t have an estate plan—you are leaving A LOT to chance. If you are a parent of minor children, there are three things you need to consider today: (1) Guardianship; (2) Money; and (3) Emergencies.

For 18 years, you’ve been an advocate for your child’s medical, financial, academic, and legal concerns. It can come as a surprise, then, when your child turns 18, and suddenly you are no longer their agent in the eyes of the law.