Three Estate Must-Dos

Dying "intestate" may sound like a gut-wrenching way to go. And while it has nothing to do with your physical state of being, it can leave your loved ones with lingering pain.

When you die intestate, you pass on to the great beyond without leaving behind a will or trust. In such cases, your friendly state government takes over and follows prescribed inheritance formulas. Or, as one Fool wrote to us: "When someone dies intestate, that's lawyerese for, 'Oh boy, let's see how much I can get out of this!'"

When the state takes over, your family sits in limbo as your estate lingers in probate -- possibly for years. Your assets are divvied up according to a stranger's prescribed recipe, and your Aunt Ida, the animal shelter, and any other organization to which you wished to leave money may never see one cent.

Three recommendations to make your passing go as smoothly as it can:

1. Find an attorney who is thoroughly versed in estate planning. (Your divorce lawyer or patent guy probably won't hack it.)
2. Stay up-to-date on tax changes since they affect your planning documents.
3. Make sure that the right people know where to find these documents when (not if) needed.

Start lining up your ducks and turning yourself into your brood's favorite relative. TMF Money Advisor (there's a free trial being offered right now) will help you sort out your stuff, and even coach you via telephone on making your family -- not the state's lawyers -- sing your praises when you're gone.