Last Writes: A Blog About Death and Grief

Legal notices and probate letters arrive full of confusing jargon. Here is how understanding probate documents helps you avoid expensive emails to your lawyer.

When someone dies, no one tells you what happens to the pets. This guide covers the first 48 hours, the legal side, how to find the right home, and what to do when no one can take the animal.

Six myths about body donation, debunked by a program coordinator and licensed funeral director who has seen this work from every angle.

Settling an estate takes 570 hours. Most executors try to do it alone until something goes wrong. Here is how to know when to call help in.

Nobody warned you that settling an estate is also a travel job. Here's how to do it without losing your mind or your savings.

When someone dies, you become legally responsible for their assets before you have the authority to act on them.

Executors are legally entitled to compensation in nearly every state. Here's what you can claim, how fees are calculated, and what most people don't know about getting paid for the hardest job you...

Every drawer is a decision. Every closet is a memory. A practical guide to sorting, selling, donating, and surviving the emotional weight of emptying a parent's home.