Ellis Family Guides

Practical, plain-English guides for life's biggest transitions


The paperwork of a life should never become a burden on the people we love.

The series in half a minute

Three books, one job: nothing left for them to guess


Get Your Affairs in Order by Margaret K. Ellis

The Peace of Mind Series · Book One

Get Your Affairs in Order

Your complete Estate Planner: a plain-English guide plus a fill-in organizer for wills, trusts, digital assets, and everything your family needs to know.

“It is not a dry legal textbook and deals with death empathetically… an outstanding work that is concise, clearly written, and full of practical advice, covering factors that you may never have considered. This valuable resource is highly recommended.” Leonard Smuts for Readers’ Favorite — five stars

About the book Free Companion Pack

Paperback, hardcover and ebook — all three editions here.

Readers Favorite five star review seal
Living Trusts Made Simple by Margaret K. Ellis

The Peace of Mind Series · Book Two

Living Trusts Made Simple

Your complete Trust Planner: a plain-English guide to whether you need a trust at all — and, if you do, how to fund it so it actually does the job it was bought for.

“Margaret K. Ellis’s Living Trusts Made Simple offers a clear, straightforward guide to handling property transfers and preparing for the future… It brings real honesty to long-term financial security… This book hands you the perfect roadmap to lock in your estate and protect your family’s legacy.” Robert Collier III for Readers’ Favorite — five stars

About the book Free Companion Pack

Paperback, hardcover and ebook — all three editions here.

Readers Favorite five star review seal
Social Security & Medicare by Margaret K. Ellis

The Peace of Mind Series · Book Three

Social Security & Medicare

Your complete Benefits Planner: when to claim, which Medicare plan actually fits, and every deadline that keeps costing you if you miss it.

“A comprehensive guide that will provide answers… a step-by-step guide that explains the entire process, from what you may claim to how to go about it. Ellis describes the rules, warns of the possible pitfalls, and demystifies the complexities… a valuable reference work for years to come.” Leonard Smuts for Readers’ Favorite — five stars

About the book Free Companion Pack

Paperback, hardcover and ebook — all three editions here.

Readers Favorite five star review seal

How we work

Our books show their work


Every figure in an Ellis Family Guide is checked against the primary source — the statute itself, not another book's summary. Where the law is genuinely unsettled, the book says so instead of guessing.

And because these numbers move, the books move with them: every title is reviewed and refreshed on a regular schedule. The current state-by-state tables are always free on the companion page — there, each figure is printed with the statute cited beside it, so you or your attorney can check the source directly.

No email address, no account, no download gate. Ever.

For readers

Own the book? Your downloads are waiting


Everything at ellisfamilyguides.com/bonus is a direct download — no sign-up, no strings:

  • The Quick-Start Checklist — the five things your family would need tonight
  • The 50-state reference tables, with the statute cited beside every number
  • Printable organizer pages for accounts, documents, contacts and final wishes
  • The Yearly Estate Check-up, so nothing quietly goes out of date
  • Fifteen free, official resources — from the life-insurance policy locator to unclaimed-property searches in every state

The series

The Peace of Mind Series


Three books for the paperwork nobody teaches you, each written the same way: plain English, primary sources, and the pages to actually write it down.

  1. Get Your Affairs in Order — wills, trusts, digital assets and the complete organizer. Available now →
  2. Living Trusts Made Simple — for the readers who worked out they need one, and everything that happens after the signing. Available now →
  3. Social Security & Medicare — the two systems that decide what retirement actually costs. Available now →