Estate planning is not about wealth. It’s not about age. It’s about clarity.

In this episode of Life is Legal, Brooke breaks down the essential estate planning documents every adult should have in place.

From wills and revocable trusts to beneficiary designations and incapacity documents like medical and financial powers of attorney, this episode walks through what each document does, how they work together, and why failing to plan creates chaos for the people you love.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Do I need a will or a trust?
• What happens if I don’t have anything in place?
• Does my spouse automatically get to make decisions for me?
• Are online estate planning tools enough?

This episode answers those questions!

⏱️ Chapters 

00:02:25 – Will vs. Trust: What’s the Difference?

00:03:29 – What Is Probate and Why Does It Matter?

00:04:31 – How Revocable Trusts Avoid Probate

00:06:16 – How to Properly Fund a Revocable Trust

00:08:15 – Retirement Accounts & Life Insurance: Beneficiary Rules Explained

00:09:08 – Why Beneficiary Designations Override Your Will

00:11:06 – Incapacity Planning: Medical Power of Attorney & Health Care Proxy

00:13:12 – Living Wills vs. DNR Orders (Important Differences)

00:15:07 – Durable Financial Power of Attorney Explained

00:17:14 – Who Controls Your Funeral? 

00:18:52 – Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples

00:19:20 – Blended Families & Estate Planning Pitfalls

00:20:38 – How to Choose the Right Estate Planning Attorney

00:25:18 – Why You Need to Get Your Documents Done Now

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Want more real talk and practical tools to help you understand the laws that affect you and your family?

Get the Legal Brief Newsletter 👉 https://brooke-hardie.kit.com/newlsetter

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The views and opinions expressed on “Life Is Legal” are those of Brooke Hardie and her guests alone…and are provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No part of this podcast or any related materials are intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice.

Turning 18 doesn’t just mean freedom. It means legal responsibility.

In this episode of Life is Legal, Brooke walks through the not-so-sexy but absolutely essential side of adulting: risk mitigation. From auto insurance and tickets to leases, renter’s insurance, medical powers of attorney, and social media mistakes that can derail your future. This episode breaks down what every new adult needs to know.

Because life is legal… whether you’re ready or not.

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes that make the law understandable, usable, and human.

⏱ Chapters

00:27 – Auto Insurance 101

02:16 – Tickets, Warrants & Insurance Points

03:23 – Buying or Selling a Car

04:46 – Rideshare & Delivery Drivers Insurance

05:41 – Signing Your First Lease

07:18 – Roommates & Joint Liability

08:53 – Renter’s Insurance

10:06 – Medical Privacy & HIPAA Rules Explained

12:29 – Durable Power of Attorney

13:32 – Social Media & Legal Consequences

17:48 – The Golden Rule Before You Post

Want more real talk and practical tools to help you understand the laws that affect you and your family?

Get the Legal Brief Newsletter 👉 https://brooke-hardie.kit.com/newlsetter

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The views and opinions expressed on “Life Is Legal” are those of Brooke Hardie and her guests alone…and are provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.  No part of this podcast or any related materials are intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice.

Prenuptial agreements get a bad rap, but in this episode, we’re breaking down why prenups aren’t about planning for divorce, distrust, or power plays. They’re about clarity, transparency, and protecting everyone involved.

We’ll talk about how modern marriages are different than they used to be, why state laws matter more than most people realize, and how prenups can reduce conflict in both divorce and estate planning. 

From business ownership and debt to blended families and inheritance issues, this episode walks through what prenups actually do, what they can (and can’t) cover, and how the process works.

If you think prenups are only for celebrities or the ultra-wealthy, this episode will change your mind.

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes that make the law understandable, usable, and human.

⏱️ Chapters

01:02 – Why Prenups Have a Bad Reputation

02:06 – Marriage Is a Legal Contract

03:03 – What Prenups Actually Do

04:06 – Income, Appreciation, and Commingling Assets

06:28 – Reimbursement Claims Explained

07:59 – Business Ownership and Prenups

09:26 – Debt and Financial Transparency

11:43 – What Prenups Cannot Cover

12:40 – The Prenup Process Explained

15:08 – Prenups and Estate Planning

17:12 – Final Thoughts: Why Clarity Is Romantic

Want more real talk and practical tools to help you understand the laws that affect you and your family?

Get the Legal Brief Newsletter 👉 https://brooke-hardie.kit.com/newlsetter

–-

The views and opinions expressed on “Life Is Legal” are those of Brooke Hardie and her guests alone…and are provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.  No part of this podcast or any related materials are intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice.

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A Storyteller Wordsmith Creative Studio production - https://www.storytellerwordsmith.com/podcast

Turning 18 unlocks a lot more than freedom, it unlocks legal responsibility! 

In this episode, lawyer and legal translator Brooke Hardie breaks down what really changes when you become a legal adult, especially when it comes to contracts, credit, and your financial reputation.

From phone plans and streaming subscriptions to credit cards and student loans, Brooke explains what actually counts as a contract, why clicking “I agree” matters, and how small money mistakes can quietly follow you for years. 

This is a practical, plain-English guide to navigating adult life without learning everything the hard way.

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes that make the law understandable, usable, and human.

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⏱️ Chapters

01:00 — What Really Changes When You Turn 18

02:05 — What a Contract Actually Is

02:32 — The Escape Hatch Closes at 18

05:03 — Free Trials That Aren’t Really Free

06:14 — How Contracts Can Protect You

06:43 — The Smart Contract Checklist

08:25 — Welcome to the Financial System

09:12 — How Credit Card Interest Really Works

10:22 — Your Credit Score = Your Adult GPA

11:33 — The Fastest Ways Young Adults Wreck Their Credit

13:41 — Using Credit as a Tool (Not a Trap)

15:10 — Student Loans and Long-Term Consequences

16:00 — Final Thoughts & Resources

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Want more real talk and practical tools to help you understand the laws that affect you and your family?

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The law affects your money, your family, your job, and your everyday decisions, yet most people don’t understand how laws apply to them until it’s too late.

In the first episode of Life Is Legal, attorney and legal translator Brooke Hardie explains why legal confusion isn’t your fault and how a lack of legal literacy quietly costs people time, money, and peace of mind. Through real stories and real-life examples, Brooke breaks down how the law actually works and why understanding it matters more than you think.

No Latin. No lectures. Just clear, practical explanations for real people who want to stop getting blindsided by fine print and start making informed decisions.

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes that make the law understandable, usable, and human.

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⏱️ Chapters

00:55 — Meet Brooke Hardy: Lawyer, Translator, Storyteller

01:54 — A Preventable Legal Nightmare

04:13 — This Isn’t a Personal Failure. It’s a System Problem

04:45 — A Brief History of Legal Gatekeeping

06:26 — Everyday Laws That Can Cost You Big

08:34 — Why Legal Literacy Matters for Society

09:46 — The Law in Your Daily Life

10:19 — What This Podcast Is (and Is Not)

12:14 — The Promise of Life Is Legal

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Want more real talk and practical tools to help you understand the laws that affect you and your family?

Get the Legal Brief Newsletter 👉 https://brooke-hardie.kit.com/newlsetter

For most people, the law feels like a gated community full of fine print, Latin, and $400/hour gatekeepers. Ordinary people only meet the law when something goes wrong: a death, a divorce, or a dispute.

That’s why Life Is Legal exists!

After 25 years practicing law, Brooke Hardie has seen what keeps people up at night and how often good, smart people get blindsided by laws they didn’t even know existed.

Life Is Legal makes the law human, relatable, and even a little bit funny. Each episode and article breaks down complicated legal issues into simple stories and plain English takeaways that help listeners protect what matters, avoid preventable messes, and breathe a little easier.

Because in the end, life is legal. So you gotta know the rules.