Read about first 7 chapters.

Notes

Box, p. 57, "Your Digital Legacy"
If you want your survivors to be able to log into your accounts as users, include login names and passwords with your instructions.

p. 63 Property Worksheet
Description of your property / Type of Shared Ownership / Percentage You Own / Net Value of Your Ownership
I. Assets (Liquid: cash, savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, tradeable stocks and securities, govt bonds). Other personal property (vehicles, electronic equipment, precious metals, household goods, clothing, jewelry, artwork/collectibles/antiques, tools/equipment, animals, money owed to you, vested interests, limited partnerships, retirement plans, life insurance, frequent flyer miles, misc.). Real estate. Liabilities (debts, taxes, other).

p. 78 Pets: Leave your pet to someone who has agreed to care for it, and leave them money to do so.

p. 94 Choosing a property manager for your child: Should be same person as guardian, unless there are compelling reasons against.
Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) (age in MA is 21)

p. 116 What makes a will legal?
-18yo
-of sound mind
-typewritten/computer
-at least one substantive provision (e.g. leaving property to someone)
-appoint at least one executor
-must be dated
-must be signed in front of two witnesses (adults of sound mind who won't inherit under the will - beneficiaries cannot be witnesses. Can be notarized, but not required.

p. 121 "Living will" = health care directive (life support?)

The tenth edition of NOLO's "Plan Your Estate" is required reading for anyone who expects to die (no matter how far away that day may be).

Surely each of us has something that we expect to leave behind - be it a faithful dog or a Hawaiian estate. Denis Clifford's 539 page volume gives the average person a good idea how things will fall out both with and without advance planning. The book is divided into twelve parts covering topics such as Goals, Groundwork, Children, Wills, Probate, Taxes; included in those are thirty-two well-indexed chapters dealing with issues such as Social Security, Trusts, Former Spouses and so on.

Clifford's book gives a general explanation of each topic, but nothing can be treated in depth in a volume this short. "Plan Your Estate" is not a substitute for visiting an attorney with specific questions and having her create a will to your particular needs. But this is a great place to start and get a good idea of what you may require.

The bottom line: Five Stars. "Plan Your Estate" is easy to understand and use but not a substitute for legal advice. ( )