This is a fabulous reference book - and a fascinating and hilarious (although also cringe-inducing) collection of pitfalls associated with the distribution of assets after death. Through a series of lessons, anecdotes, and helpful hints, Baker covers all the major issues of property and control associated with death, dying, and probate. In a no-nonsense style, he addresses misconceptions and concerns as well as offers insight and comfort with the procedural issues at the end of life. It's a fantastic place to start - and engaging and entertaining to boot!

This was a quirky book with helpful information on various legal matters we all should be aware of needing professional help to accomplish. The advise is based on U.S. law so not completely relevant to Canadians but it is good to know about these things.

I enjoyed the examples of messed up wills, estates, and other life experiences.

This book really touched on everything that is involved with Death.

People don’t realize the amount of planning that needs to be done and the stress it can put on families that are left living.

I appreciate the format it is in.
It goes into detail what could happen and what has happened with every instance of planning/death.

Special thanks to #NetGalley and #DavidBaker for this #ARC to review.

This is a great, short, easy-to-understand guide on how to take care of end-of-life matters. Baker starts by explaining why it's important to take care of these matters while you can instead of allowing the State to make those important decisions for you. The advice here is practical, and covers everything from guardianships to making a will to choosing an attorney. Everyone should read a book like this, probably more than once, to make sure that their affairs are taken care of in the best way possible. Even if you don't have heirs, you don't want to be leaving your estate to the East German secret police! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

I try to read this book, but I don't read self-help books, so it's not for me, sorry
The book is good, if you like this kind of books it will be very helpful to you, however if you don't usually read self-help books I don't recommend it

Death is No excuse by David Baker is one of the best self help books on financial and estate planning that I have ever read. It's not only informative , fast paced and easy to easy to understand , but funny. Baker takes a very serious topic and present it in a way that you instantly absorb. Highly recommend this book to anyone who will eventually die- which is everyone!! Five stars!!

This is very informative and pretty easy to digest for a topic that has terrified me for years. Baker succeeds in the sending the message of the importance of preparing for death and making sure your loved ones are taken care of and know what to do when (not if!) you die. The case studies helped to break up what could become too dense if it were simply definitions, stats, directions, etc.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 4/5
Value for Intended Audience 5/5
Pacing 4/5
Overall Enjoyability 4/5

Had to DNF this book. Very difficult to read with formatting issues that caused words/sentences to string together. And the topic seems like it won’t reach those it is intended for. People who don’t have a Will or haven’t done any estate planning aren’t likely to read this book, even though that’s the point of the book.

This is a book that should be read many times by anyone old enough to consider their future death. It's not enough to tell a few people what you want to happen to you and your effects upon your death, you need to put it in writing. David Baker gives some clear guidance on options and why each choice is different for you and your family. If you love your family, buy this book, read it and share it with everyone in your circle.

Very funny book but in the end makes the point about the important stuff as you get busier blowing those candles out. The author clarifies which steps are a must and which ones are only essential when you hit the upward of million dollar ceilins. Whats folklore in estate plannign and so on.

This is the type of book I needed at this exact moment. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for this review. My father recently passed, and the information provided by Baker in this book is proving to be useful. My dad didn't leave explicit instructions, and my mom was clueless about the finances. The book is giving examples and situations with practical information so I can move ahead and help.

I never thought that I would say this but the funniest book I read this month was Death is No Excuse, a book about wills, trusts, and guardianships.

It is amazing how fast distributing your assets after death can go horribly, and hilariously, wrong. Each chapter of the book ends with a parable of what can go wrong if you don’t follow the author’s guidance. The author is a probate lawyer. His advice is almost invariably to see an attorney. It is a penny-wise, pound-foolish type of lesson. Don’t try to save a few thousand dollars and have your entire estate get eaten up by lawyer fees after your death when at least one person contests your will.

I am a certified public accountant, who really thought I knew a lot about estate planning. However, this book introduced many pitfalls I didn’t know existed. Even if you put a standard no contest clause in your will, your aggrieved relatives can sue each other civilly for the tort of Intentional Interference with Testamentary Expectancy. So, instead of suing your estate for undue influence, they are suing each other with no risk of losing whatever small amount your will gifted them originally.

Another unusual tip is that you should add a “Gift-Over” or Doomsday clause in your will. In case everyone named in your will predeceases you, you name a final backstop, possibly a charity, to get your estate. Better a charity than the government, am I right?

The best tip that I found in the book is never move to New Hampshire if anyone in your life is looking to achieve “inheritance by baseball bat”. New Hampshire is the only state without a slayer law that prevents a killer from inheriting or otherwise benefiting from his or her victim’s death. And the cause doesn’t have to be as dramatic as a 1940s noir. Even if your intent wasn’t to kill but you accidentally killed the deceased while doing something else bad, you can still be disinherited. Or disallowed from their pension’s spousal benefits. Or whatever, you get the idea.

If you are thinking about getting your affairs in order, there is no funnier and less sleep-inducing way to learn more about the surprisingly complex process than reading Death Is No Excuse. You will find yourself chuckling at the mishaps of others while preventing the same fate from befalling your estate. 5 stars.

Thanks to Book Baby and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.