How to Leave a Legacy and Avoid Chaos

The 4 Estate Planning Strategies Every Responsible Homeowner Must Know to Avoid Probate, Taxes, and Regret

Why a simple will can still send your family to probate
How a revocable living trust can keep things private and court-free
How to reduce “surprise taxes” on retirement accounts
The joint ownership mistake that can create major problems later
What to put in place if you’re ever sick or injured and can’t speak for yourself

Watch Now

Reserve Your Seat Now

You don’t need millions to change someone’s life.

You just need a plan.

This short webinar is for homeowners, parents, and anyone who cares about what happens to the people they love. You’ll walk away knowing what to fix, what to ask, and what to do next.

This Webinar Is For You If…

You own a home
You have kids (or grandkids)
You want things to be easier for your family later
You want more privacy and less court involvement
You’re not sure if your will or trust is actually set up the right way

What You’ll Learn :

Keep it private and probate-free

Learn why probate can be slow, public, and stressful—and how many families avoid it.

Protect retirement accounts from unnecessary taxes

See why IRA and retirement money can shrink fast after death, and what planning can help.

Avoid joint ownership traps

Learn why adding a child to your deed “to avoid probate” can backfire.

Put incapacity documents in place

See why powers of attorney and health care directives matter before there’s an emergency.

People like you want simple answers.
That’s what we aim for.

Meet the presenter:

Meet Phil Ruce

Philip J. Ruce is a Minnesota estate planning attorney and the director of Stone Arch Law Office in Minneapolis. He is an adjunct professor of law at Saint Thomas School of Law where he teaches the Wills and Trusts class to law students. He is a regular instructor of continuing education for attorneys through the Minnesota State Bar Association and founder of the bar association’s High Net Worth Institute. A former financial advisor and trust officer, Philip has worked on thousands of trusts and estates.

Philip is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (B.A.), William Mitchell College of Law (J.D.), and Thomas Jefferson School of Law (LL.M.) and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a 2019-2026 Super Lawyer and as a 2016-2018 Super Lawyer Rising Star.

Philip’s trust and fiduciary research has been published by universities around the country, including the Gonzaga University Law Review, the Quinnipiac University Law Review, the South Texas Law Review, the Drake University Law Review, as well as the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Journal.

He is the author of Trustee University, a guidebook for family trustees, as well as the author of the LexisNexis Practice Guide to Minnesota Estate Planning (eds. 2019-2025).

He is a Minnesota native and lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Mary, and their three little ones. These days he spends a lot more time watching Disney movies than he ever thought he would, but loves every minute.