When the ‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin died last year, it was believed that she hadn’t prepared any kind of estate plan, including a last will and testament. However, a few months ago, three handwritten wills were found in her home near Detroit. Two were in a locked closet and one was stuffed beneath the cushions of a couch!

Estate planning can be tricky, which is why many people turn to attorneys to get the job done right.

If you’re a father, there’s a good chance you help manage your household’s finances and you may even play the dominant role. This may work well now, but what if something were to happen to you? Would your family be financially okay?

The word ‘estate’ conjures images of great wealth, which may be one of the reasons why so many people don’t develop estate plans—after all, they’re not rich, so why make the effort? In reality, however, if you have a family, you can probably benefit from estate planning, whatever your asset level.

When a loved one dies leaving property, debts and a mortgage, and if he did not have a living trust, probate is required to sort everything out.

As it turns out, though, living wills and durable power of attorney for healthcare are two things that single people might especially want to give some thought to.

It’s important to have certain binding legal documents in place, if you become disabled due to an illness or accident. These aren’t easy things to talk about, but attorneys say every adult needs them.

Credit cards, a car loan, a mortgage—whatever debt you’re carrying around, doesn’t just disappear when you die.

For new parents, the need for legacy planning is especially obvious.

After a period of divorce or widowhood, you, your newly beloved and your respective children are about to become a ‘blended family.’ You and you partner will be creating a new family dynamic, which will hopefully be rewarding, but can be fraught with challenges, if little attention is paid to the consequences of the relationships.