The Great Goodbye Guide: The Book No One Wants to Read (But They Should)

Someday, you are going to die.Crazy, but true.Most families meet this moment with no clear idea what needs to be prepared ahead of time, what happens at the time of death, or what responsibilities must be handled afterward. Almost no one talks about it, and the process is rarely explained clearly in one place.The Great Goodbye Guide is a 670-page, plain-language, hands-on educational resource written with one mission in mind: to reduce unnecessary suffering by helping readers better understand estate planning, end-of-life preparation, probate, estate administration, taxes, digital accounts, and grief management, ideally long before they are forced to confront these issues in a moment of crisis.Written by a non-lawyer for other non-lawyers, it explains the key terms, concepts, documents, decisions, and typical sequence of events surrounding death so readers can better understand what is happening, organize the information they need, and work more effectively with licensed professionals. But it is not a book you are expected to read cover to cover. It is designed so you can get in, find the topic you need, understand the basic landscape, and become better prepared for the conversation, decision, document, or responsibility in front of you.If you prepare well, the people you leave behind will suffer far less in their grief.And if someone else left you little or nothing to work with, this book can help you begin untangling the mess.Drawing on the author's personal experience and years of research, this book helps readers make sense of the real-world issues people and families often encounter: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, hospice, funerals, family disputes, probate filings, tax questions, digital accounts, and the emotional realities of grief.The author is not an attorney, accountant, financial advisor, or doctor, and nothing in this book can replace—or be used in place of—the expertise licensed professionals deliver. That's why this book won't make you an expert on death and its web of legal, tax, medical, and emotional issues-but it will help you become an expert at asking good questions of the professionals who are.This is the goal."A difficult but necessary book. It can help make what is always awful a little less awful.This book is a gift to us all, and the ones we love."- Malcolm Smith, MD, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine,UCLA David Geffen School of MedicineImportant: This book is written primarily for U.S. readers seeking a general educational understanding of estate planning, probate, tax, and end-of-life systems. It does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or medical advice.All readers should consult licensed professionals for advice specific to their circumstances. Laws, procedures, and professional standards vary by country and jurisdiction, and readers outside the United States should carefully evaluate whether the information presented here is suitable educational content for their jurisdiction and consult appropriately licensed local professionals for guidance. Read more