Estate planning starts with understanding what it actually covers, and this track lays the groundwork. You will learn what counts as your estate — money, property, and belongings — and why planning matters at any age, not just after retirement. You will see exactly what happens when someone dies or becomes incapacitated without a plan: courts decide, delays pile up, and families are left guessing. You will get a clear map of the core documents — will, trust, power of attorney, healthcare directive — and how they work together. Along the way you will bust the common myths that keep people from starting. By the end you will know exactly where to begin.

A will is the single most important document most people never get around to writing, and this track fixes that. You will learn exactly what a will does and does not control, how to choose and name an executor you trust to carry out your wishes, and how to name guardians for your children so a court never has to guess. You will work through how to divide your assets clearly enough to avoid family disputes, and learn the signing and witnessing rules that make a will legally valid — a step many people get wrong. By the end you will understand exactly what a solid will looks like and how to keep it current.

Trusts have a reputation for being complicated and only for the wealthy, but the basics are simpler than most people think. This track explains what a trust actually is and how it works alongside — or instead of — a will. You will learn how a living trust lets you manage your own assets while you are alive and hands them off smoothly afterward, the real difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts, and how a properly funded trust lets your family skip the slow, public probate process entirely. You will also learn when a trust genuinely beats a simple will and when it is more than you need. By the end you will know if a trust belongs in your plan.

Estate planning is not only about what happens after you die — it is just as much about what happens if you cannot speak for yourself. This track covers the documents that protect you while you are alive. You will learn how a durable power of attorney lets someone you trust manage your finances if you become incapacitated, and how a healthcare directive, or living will, makes sure your medical wishes are followed even when you cannot voice them. You will learn how to choose the right agents for these roles, and why beneficiary designations on accounts and insurance quietly override your will if you get them wrong. By the end you will be protected no matter what happens, not just after.

A great plan on paper can still fail in practice if no one understands the process or the paperwork gets stale. This track ties everything together. You will learn what probate actually involves and how long it typically takes, the basics of estate and inheritance taxes and who really has to worry about them, and simple, legitimate ways to reduce costs and delays for your family. You will learn why documents need to be reviewed after every major life change — marriage, a new child, a move — and, just as important, why talking to your family about your plan now prevents confusion and conflict later. By the end you will have a plan built to actually work when it is needed.