The Death Readiness Podcast: Not your dad’s estate planning podcast

The biggest obstacle to estate planning isn't procrastination. It's confusion and overwhelm. In this episode, Jill shares why she changed the way she practices law, the surprising lesson a surgeon taught her about communication, and why helping clients understand their estate plan is just as important as drafting excellent legal documents. Through stories about a graphic designer, AI, a 90-year-old client, and even her own financial planner, Jill explores how great professionals not only know their subject, they know how to explain it. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1Ivqf4_izD4

Jill’s Estate Plan Audit: https://www.deathreadiness.com/audit

Jill’s Tennessee Estate Planning Services: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

Losing someone you love is hard enough. Figuring out what to do next can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, estate planning attorney Jill Mastroianni sits down with estate administration expert Mollie Lacher to discuss the practical realities of settling someone's affairs after death. From securing a vacant home and locating hidden assets to navigating customer service, digital accounts, and the responsibilities of serving as executor during probate, this conversation offers practical guidance for anyone facing the loss of a loved one or preparing to ease the administrative burden for their own family.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AvkGEQNcMNY

Learn more about Mollie Lacher and Sunny Care Services: https://sunnycareservices.com/

Mollie's course, What to Do After Losing a Loved One: https://sunnycareservices.thinkific.com/order?ct=e2fc8f07-c0fe-46b6-a9ee-5ad3b4302916

Set up your Google Inactive Account Manager: https://myaccount.google.com/inactive

Add a Legacy Contact to your Apple Account: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102631

Add, change or remove your Legacy Contact on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/1070665206293088?helpref=faq_content

Listen to Jill's previous interview with Mollie Lacher, Episode 6: What to Know Before Choosing an Executor or Agreeing to Serve as One: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/what-to-know-before-choosing-an-executor-or-agreeing-to-serve-as-one

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

If your children inherited a million dollars tomorrow, would you want them to receive a check—or a trusted guide?

In this episode, Jill pulls back the curtain on her own family's estate plan and walks you through exactly what would happen if she and Jeremy died while their children were still young. Using their own Wills, life insurance beneficiary designations, and testamentary trusts as real-life examples, she translates complicated legal language into plain English so you can understand how trusts actually work—and why they aren't just for wealthy families.

Along the way, Jill explains why she intentionally chose to leave her children's inheritance in trust, how trustees make financial decisions, and why thoughtful estate planning is really about giving your family guidance when you can no longer be there yourself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AVXdVUB6_eg

Episode 19: Why You Need (or Don’t Need) a Trust: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-19-how-to-know-if-you-need-a-trust

Tennessee Estate Planning: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution

Tennessee Probate: https://www.deathreadiness.com/probate-solution

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

What happens if you simply cross out part of your Will, write “VOID” above it, and initial the change?

The answer is more complicated, and riskier, than most people realize.

In this episode, estate planning attorney Jill Mastroianni explains why making handwritten changes to your estate planning documents can create confusion, trigger litigation, and ultimately change how your assets are distributed. Through two real Tennessee court cases, you'll learn why “just one little edit” can have consequences that last for years and why creating a fresh document is always the better solution.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DIie_NLlXto

Free Healthcare Advance Directives: https://www.caringinfo.org/planning/advance-directives/by-state/

Related Podcast Episodes

Tennessee Cases Discussed

Need to Update Your Tennessee Estate Plan? Learn more about Jill's flat-fee Tennessee estate planning services: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

When someone you love names you as agent under a power of attorney, it can feel like you'll be able to step in and handle whatever needs to be done. But what happens when the law says otherwise?

In this episode, I share the story of a Tennessee woman who discovered that even a broad financial power of attorney has limits. Through a real-life example involving a conservatorship, a probate estate, and a Florida real estate sale, we'll explore what powers of attorney can do, what they can't do, and how thoughtful estate planning can help ensure the right people have the right authority when it's needed most. Along the way, you'll learn why caring deeply about someone doesn't automatically give you the legal ability to act on their behalf, and how one woman's careful estate planning may continue helping others long after she's gone. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Related Episodes

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZAUuZrrsot8

Episode 17: How Powers of Attorney Work, When to Use Them, and When It's Too Late to Get One: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-17-how-powers-of-attorney-work-when-to-use-them-and-when-its-too-late-to-get-one

Episodes Featuring Kristen Lewis

Tennessee Estate Planning Services: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

Michael thought he had done everything right. He created a revocable trust, avoided probate, and named a neutral third party to serve as trustee after his death. But when the corporate trustee declined to serve, his family spent fourteen years trying to untangle the consequences. In this episode, Jill explains what corporate trustees do, why they sometimes say no, and how to make sure your estate plan works not just on paper, but in real life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8yPS4NeTQng 

Episode 19: Why You Need or Don’t Need a Trust: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-19-how-to-know-if-you-need-a-trust

Tennessee Estate Planning Solution: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

Can you open a probate estate, distribute the assets, close the file, and move on without worrying about creditors?

Not quite.

In this episode of The Death Readiness Podcast, Jill answers a listener's question about why probate sometimes feels painfully slow. Using Tennessee law as an example, she explains how the creditor claims process works, why executors can't simply skip legal formalities, and what can happen if beneficiaries receive their inheritances before all of the creditor deadlines have expired. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CikfGGHRNmQ

Ask a question for Tuesday Triage: https://www.deathreadiness.com/tuesdaytriage

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

What estate planning documents does a healthy 30-year-old actually need?

In this episode of The Death Readiness Podcast, Jill answers a question from a young listener who wondered what someone her age should be doing about estate planning. Using stories from her own life, including the loss of several young friends, Jill explains why estate planning isn't just for retirees.

You'll learn why powers of attorney and healthcare advance directives may be more important than a Will when you're young, how the famous Nancy Cruzan case changed the conversation around end-of-life decision-making, and what a recent Michigan court decision means for pregnant individuals and advance directives. Most importantly, you'll learn why estate planning doesn't have to be perfect; it just has to start.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Young Adults Often Avoid Estate Planning

Most people in their twenties and thirties aren't ignoring estate planning because they're irresponsible. They're avoiding it because no one has ever explained it to them. Estate planning feels expensive, complicated, and irrelevant—until life proves otherwise. 

The Four Core Estate Planning Documents

Jill explains the four foundational documents that make up a basic estate plan:

She also shares which of these documents she actually had when she was thirty years old. 

Why Powers of Attorney Matter More Than You Think

A financial power of attorney allows someone you trust to manage financial matters if you're unable to do so yourself. Jill explains the difference between immediate and springing powers of attorney and why she chose to put one in place long before she thought she would ever need it. 

Bad Things Happen to Young People Too

Estate planning isn't just about death.

Jill reflects on the loss of former teammates, friends, and family members whose lives changed unexpectedly due to illness, accidents, and catastrophic medical events. Those experiences taught her an important lesson: A tragedy may be unlikely, but it's never impossible. 

What Nancy Cruzan Can Teach Us

Nancy Cruzan was only 25 years old when a car accident left her in a persistent vegetative state.

Because she hadn't left clear instructions about her wishes, her family spent years in court, including a case before the United States Supreme Court, trying to answer one heartbreaking question: What would Nancy have wanted? 

Michigan's New Advance Directive Ruling

A recent Michigan court decision struck down a state law that prevented patient advocates from carrying out certain end-of-life decisions for pregnant patients.

Jill explains:

This discussion also connects to the story of Adriana Smith, the Georgia nurse whose case sparked a national conversation about pregnancy and end-of-life decision-making. 

Do You Need a Will at 30?

Jill shares her own situation as a 30-year-old attorney:

She explains why she didn't have a Will at that stage of life and why beneficiary designations and account titling can sometimes accomplish much of what young adults need. 

Estate Planning Isn't a Pass-Fail Test

One of the biggest mistakes people make is believing they need to do everything perfectly.

Instead, Jill encourages listeners to think of estate planning as a series of small steps:

Every step makes life easier for the people who may one day need to help you.

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Nde4fFp5Hmk

The Death Readiness Playbook: https://www.deathreadiness.com/playbook

Important Information Sheets: https://www.deathreadiness.com/resources/important-information-sheets

Michigan statutory financial power of attorney form: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2025/08/06/fillable-power-of-attorney-forms-now-available-on-department-of-attorney-general-website

Access state-specific Healthcare Power of Attorney forms: https://www.caringinfo.org/planning/advance-directives/by-state/

Episode 17: How Powers of Attorney Work, When to Use Them, and When It’s Too Late to Get One: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-17-how-powers-of-attorney-work-when-to-use-them-and-when-its-too-late-to-get-one

Episode 22: What Every Parent Needs to Know When Their Child Turns 18: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-22-what-every-parent-needs-to-know-when-their-child-turns-18

Episode 23: What Happens When a Pregnant Woman Is Declared Brain Dead?:  https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/episode-23-what-happens-when-a-pregnant-woman-is-declared-brain-dead

Episode 68: Why Good Powers of Attorney Still Fail: https://www.deathreadiness.com/podcast/68

Connect with Jill:

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

Jill Mastroianni is joined by her close friend and financial advisor, Blair Coffman Martin, to discuss how to approach retirement planning, long-term care, and helping adult children without feeling overwhelmed. Blair emphasizes that financial planning isn’t about having all the answers upfront; it’s about starting with what you know, organizing your spending, and creating a flexible plan for the future. They also cover required minimum distributions (RMDs), consolidating accounts, and strategies to involve adult children responsibly in financial decisions.

Key Takeaways

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JsqlbeG8SCk

Learn more about Blair Coffman Martin and the team at Robert W. Baird and Co. Incorporated: https://lexingtondt.bairdwealth.com/team/blair-c-martin

Blair's email: [email protected]

Blair's phone number: 859-514-0183 

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

What happens when someone with memory changes needs to sign a will, trust, or power of attorney? Who actually decides whether they’re “competent” enough to sign, and what happens if people disagree?

In this episode, Jill Mastroianni share personal stories involving her own mom, a deathbed signing that never happened, and what the law actually says about mental capacity and estate planning. We talk about why competency is not an all-or-nothing question, who acts as the initial gatekeepers during a signing, and why families often begin asking “Can Mom still sign?” when they’re already standing in the middle of a crisis. Most importantly, we talk about why estate planning works best when decisions are made from a place of choice, not urgency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why “competent” is not a simple yes-or-no determination 

The difference between testamentary capacity and contractual capacity 

Why someone may be able to sign a will but not a power of attorney 

The four things a person generally needs to understand to sign a will 

Why dementia does not automatically mean someone lacks legal capacity 

Why attorneys sometimes refuse to let a client sign documents 

The risks and concerns that can arise when adult children request standalone powers of attorney 

The role of notaries and witnesses as gatekeepers, but not final decision-makers 

What courts look at when capacity is challenged after a signing 

Why moments of lucidity matter in capacity determinations 

Why families often wait too long before starting important conversations 

The hidden systems we all carry in our heads—passwords, finances, routines, healthcare information, and family details 

Why timing matters more than most families realize

Resources & Links

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/coX3guCoFMI

The Death Readiness Playbook: https://www.deathreadiness.com/playbook

Connect with Jill:

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.