PLANNING GUIDES
Guides for the decisions families actually face.
Short, practical reads on choosing a provider, understanding pricing, and knowing what you are owed by law. Written from public records and published pricing — never sponsored.
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10 guides tagged Paperwork · clear
Where to Keep Your Will and End-of-Life Documents
Where to keep your will and end-of-life documents, and who should have a copy of each one, with the safe deposit box and filing rules for MO, IL and KS.
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What Should a Will Include? And What It Can't Control
What should a will include, and what passes outside it? A plain guide to executors, guardians, bequests, and Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas signing rules.
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How to Talk to Your Parents About End-of-Life Plans
How to talk to your parents about end-of-life plans: openers that work, the objections you will hear, and the Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas forms to sign.
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Who to Notify When Someone Dies: A Practical Checklist
A checklist of who to notify when someone dies, ordered by urgency: Social Security, employers, insurers, banks, the DMV, credit bureaus, and the post office.
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Transporting a Body Across State Lines: What to Know
What transporting a body across state lines takes: burial transit permits, embalming rules, air cargo, driving remains yourself, and what each option costs.
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How to Get a Death Certificate in Kansas
Getting a death certificate in Kansas: the $20 fee, who's eligible, ordering through KDHE or your funeral home, how many copies to get, and fixing errors.
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How to Get a Death Certificate in Illinois
Ordering a death certificate in Illinois: who qualifies, county clerk versus state fees and wait times, how many copies to get, and how to fix an error.
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Kansas Probate Process: What Families Need to Know
A clear look at the Kansas probate process: the six-month filing rule, small estate affidavits, simplified administration, creditor claims, and costs.
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Illinois Probate Process: A Plain Guide for Families
How the Illinois probate process actually works: when it's required, the small estate affidavit limit, creditor deadlines, real timelines, and what it costs.
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How to Get a Death Certificate in Missouri (2026 Guide)
Learn how to order a death certificate in Missouri, who can request one, the current $14 state fee, how many copies you'll need, and how to fix errors.
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