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In this episode of Estate Planning Confidence, we step back to reveal the bigger picture — the hidden legal machinery that starts the moment someone dies.

Most people don’t realize it, but death sets a powerful process in motion. Like a machine, it’s automatic, impersonal, and governed by strict rules. Probate courts. Tax deadlines. Creditor rights. Property laws. All of it activates — whether or not you’ve made a plan.

As Bob explains, you do have an interval of opportunity to direct how that machinery operates: while you’re alive. If you act during that time, you can guide it with clarity and intention. But if you don’t? The system moves forward anyway, without your input — and often in ways that leave your loved ones tangled in confusion, conflict, or worse.

You’ll revisit true stories from past episodes: the young parents who never named a guardian, leaving their kids caught in a courtroom tug-of-war… and the grieving family who avoided probate, only to be sued by a hospital and forced to repay money they’d already spent.

What do these stories have in common? Each one was avoidable.

This episode ties it all together — showing how estate planning isn’t just about documents, but about lifting the weight of uncertainty and earning real peace of mind.

You don’t have to know everything. You just have to begin.

And don’t forget to download your Estate Planning Confidence — your step-by-step guide to getting organized, protecting your family, and putting your plan in motion.

Robert Monahan is an estate planning attorney licensed in Illinois and New York. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the University of Virginia School of Law. Robert helps families plan with clarity and confidence from his office in Gurnee, Illinois.

📍 Office: 4229 Grove Ave, Gurnee, IL
📞 Phone: (847) 848-6165
📧 Email: [email protected]

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify