Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

If you do not have a will, you are not alone, but this oversight could pose difficulties for your family in the event of your death or severe disability. Get Your Affairs in Order: The Complete Estate Planning Guide and Organizer is a timely call to review your finances, health outlook, and property. Margaret K. Ellis points out that her book is not about death, but is aimed at easing the burden on those left behind. While each state has rules about what should happen if you die without a will, they may differ, or exclude some beneficiaries, so it is best to plan and keep paperwork up to date. There is sound advice on diverse topics, from drafting a will, appointing an executor, forming a trust if indicated, granting powers of attorney, planning for incapacity, canceling contracts, taxes, funeral plans and arrangements, organ donation, keys, and canceling utilities, to seeking legal advice. Briefing the family in advance will avoid future conflicts. There is a self-assessment checklist, notes on what information to leave behind in the form of passwords, the location of documents, contact numbers, emergency instructions, insurance policies, bank statements, and an inventory of assets and liabilities. The care of animals should also be decided. Plans should be reviewed yearly, or when circumstances change.

Get Your Affairs in Order is a unique combination of guidance, notes on organizing documentation, and preparation for the future. It is not a dry legal textbook and deals with death empathetically. The author points out that legal processes take time and will be further complicated if technicalities have been overlooked. Cost estimates for legal services are included. The explanations are clear and concise, and there are checklists, worksheets, an action plan, and an annual follow-up routine. The digital era has brought new considerations in the form of cryptocurrency, data stored in the cloud, email accounts, cell phone and social media service providers, and the need for passwords. The chapter that deals with those implications is particularly relevant. Margaret K. Ellis has produced an outstanding work that is concise, clearly written, and full of practical advice, covering factors that you may never have considered. While written in an American context, most of the principles are applicable on a much wider scale. This valuable resource is highly recommended.