Navigator

The Sentimentality Trap: Why "Death Cleaning" is the Best Gift for Your Executor By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi February 23, 2026 In previous posts, we have discussed döstädning—the "gentle art of Swedish Death Cleaning ." I is the practice of organizing and paring down your life’s "stuff" now so that your children or other heirs are not left to do it while they are grieving.  While it my be easy to toss an old toaster, it is much harder to part with your father’s collection of vintage maps or your grandmother’s (slightly chipped) dishes. A recent New York Times piece, "Letting Go of Sentimental Objects Is Hard," offers some useful psychological tools that may help you push past the mental roadblock and actually clear out some clutter this Spring.   To "soften" this process, consider the following: "Use it or Lose it" Rule: The Times suggests keeping only what you can use daily. If the item is tucked away in a back closet and ...

From My Madison Living Room to the Boardroom: The Seahawks, Super Bowl 60, and Estate Planning By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi February 13, 2026 Superbowl 60 is now in the books, and the Seattle Seahawks were crowned World Champions.  Even though I live deep in Green Bay Packer Country (our home is in Madison, Wisconsin), we follow the Seahawks religiously because my oldest child has been a huge fan since his elementary school years.  As parents we’ve made it a goal to support our children to follow their own path rather than follow the pack.  Which is why this past Sunday the lower level of our house was full with his teenage buddies, cheering the Seahawks on their path to victory. With the game behind us, news of the Seahawks has taken another, expected turn.  We’ve all seen the headlines: “Jody Allen to sell the Seahawks to honor her late brother, Paul Allen.” It’s a touching sentiment. It paints a picture of a grieving sister making a personal choice to carry out a ...

The Estate Relay: What Happens When the Torch is Dropped? By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi February 6, 2026 Rome. Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi  As the world’s eyes turn to the opening ceremonies in Italy tonight, there is no moment more symbolic than the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. It represents the final, successful hand-off in a journey that spanned continents. In my practice, I view a person’s estate in much the same way—it is a torch lit by a lifetime of hard work, meant to be passed seamlessly to the next generation. When a solid estate plan is in place, that hand-off is a moment of honor and transition. But when someone passes away without a will, we aren't just looking at a pause in the ceremony; we are looking at a dropped torch. In the legal world, dying without a will is known as intestacy. When the torch is dropped, the momentum of your legacy grinds to a halt. Instead of a pre-selected Personal Representative stepping forward to lead, the probate court must intervene...