A (very) light-hearted approach to estate planning topics

I'm going to tell you a nursery rhyme. The first verse will be familiar to all of you. The second and third verse will not.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Though Humpty's life was sadly short,
His widow didn't go to court.
For Humpty had wisely thought ahead
To what would happen when he was dead.

Humpty Dumpty had made a will
In case a wall or cliff or hill
Should suddenly rob him of his life.
Humpty Dumpty took care of his wife.

Last year I wrote a book called "Cinderella's Trust Fund", in which I used characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes to talk about estate-related topics. No, the book is not entirely in rhyme, as the above poem might suggest. But at the end of each chapter, I do re-tell the applicable story or rhyme the way that I imagine it would have been told if it had been written by an estate planner.

Some of the chapters include "Cinderella's Trust Fund", "Baa Baa Intestate Sheep", "To Grandmother's Long Term Care Facility We Go", "Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Will", "The Emperor's New Executor", "There Was a Homeowner Who Lived in a Shoe", "Beauty and the Bequest", "Puss in Business", and "Love's First Lawsuit", among others.

In the book, I cover real topics such as intestacy, the role of the executor, blended families, and mental incapacity. The fairy tale characters are used as examples of what can happen when there is no planning. They are a light-hearted way of approaching serious subjects, as I like to re-imagine how their stories would have been different if only there had a been a will or a trust in place.

This is the most fun I've ever had writing a book.

If this approach appeals to you, drop by my office to pick up a copy, or click here to buy one online. As always, I appreciate your feedback, especially if it contains more verses...