Why they exist
When a mother or father dies, one of their children often ends up as the person who has to know what to do. The calls, the forms, the court and the house land on them, and sometimes brothers and sisters see it differently. What is written for that person tends to be either a long legal manual or a memoir.
These books sit in between. Each is short and practical, and each is written for one stretch of time after the death, so you can read the one you need now and leave the rest.
How they are being written
Each chapter will start with one question and answer it in a few lines. The rest of the chapter will explain what exists, what to ask, and who can answer for your situation, and end with what to do and what can wait.
The books are built on gathered research. It includes accounts adult children have published, interviews they have given to podcasts and the press, and studies of estates and of losing a parent. When a chapter says what some people describe, it will be summing up that research in general terms. Nobody is quoted or named.
How the facts are checked
Every rule, phone number and web address is checked against the agency’s or court’s own pages, and each book will say when. Figures that change from year to year will be kept on one page at the back, with the date they were last checked.
The books describe the United States. Rules differ from state to state, and they change, so check anything you rely on with the office itself.
What they are not
The books are general information. They are not legal, financial, tax, medical or mental-health advice, and reading them does not create a professional relationship of any kind. They won’t tell you what to choose. They will tell you what exists, which questions to bring, and who can answer them.
The Widow’s Guide
The Widow’s Guide is a separate series from the same publisher, written for women in the first two years after a husband dies. If your father died and your mother is now on her own, it was written for her: widowsguide.org.
If something is wrong
Rules change, and mistakes happen. If you find one, we would rather know. Please write to hello@aftermomordad.com.
The books are written by Edward Crowe and published by JMS Media Group LLC.