Booklets
Long-form guides and short books that clients read at home, cover to cover, often more than once. The booklet is a reading object first: one interior spec built for comfortable reading by older eyes, with a clear ladder of chapters, sections, and subsections. Brand emphasis lives on the cover and the chapter openers. The interior stays quiet so the words do the work.
Cover wrap
The printer receives one sheet: back cover, spine, and front cover side by side, plus bleed. The spine width comes from the page count and the stock, so it is calculated rather than drawn. Choose one emphasis step per title and keep it for every edition.
Quiet and correspondence-grade. Paper does the work; the brand is a signature, not a statement.
Documents are the start. The plan is the point.
Most families who come to us already have a will. What they rarely have is a plan that still works when someone falls ill, moves, remarries, or passes away. This guide walks through the decisions behind the documents, in the order you will meet them.
- What a will can and cannot do
- Choosing the people who act for you
- When a trust is worth it
- Keeping the plan current
9121 Anson Way, Suite 200Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 341-7055 · piercelaw.com
Your Family’s Plan, ExplainedPierce Law Group
A guide for North Carolina families Your family’s plan, explained.
A plain-language guide to wills, trusts, and the decisions that hold them together
The attorneys of Pierce Law Group
Recognizably Pierce at arm’s length. A navy or gold band frames ivory content.
Documents are the start. The plan is the point.
Most families who come to us already have a will. What they rarely have is a plan that still works when someone falls ill, moves, remarries, or passes away. This guide walks through the decisions behind the documents, in the order you will meet them.
- What a will can and cannot do
- Choosing the people who act for you
- When a trust is worth it
- Keeping the plan current
9121 Anson Way, Suite 200Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 341-7055 · piercelaw.com
Your Family’s Plan, ExplainedPierce Law Group
Your family’s plan, explained.
A plain-language guide to wills, trusts, and the decisions that hold them together
The attorneys of Pierce Law Group
Full-bleed navy with gold ink, and full-bleed photography where the format has room. For rooms, not envelopes.
Documents are the start. The plan is the point.
Most families who come to us already have a will. What they rarely have is a plan that still works when someone falls ill, moves, remarries, or passes away. This guide walks through the decisions behind the documents, in the order you will meet them.
- What a will can and cannot do
- Choosing the people who act for you
- When a trust is worth it
- Keeping the plan current
9121 Anson Way, Suite 200Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 341-7055 · piercelaw.com
Your Family’s Plan, ExplainedPierce Law Group
Your family’s plan, explained.
A plain-language guide to wills, trusts, and the decisions that hold them together
The attorneys of Pierce Law Group
Chapter openers
A chapter always opens on a right-hand page. The title sinks below a fixed drop so every opener lines up when the book is fanned, and the first paragraph opens with a gold drop cap. Use the same step as the cover.
Five gaps that leave families exposed
“A plan that only works on paper is not yet a plan.”Pierce Law Group
Most families do not set out to leave a mess. It happens because the pieces of a plan were signed at different times, by different people, for different reasons, and no one ever checked that they still fit together.
This chapter walks through the five gaps we see most often. Each one is common, each one is quiet until the worst moment, and each one has a straightforward fix.
15
Five gaps that leave families exposed
“A plan that only works on paper is not yet a plan.”Pierce Law Group
Most families do not set out to leave a mess. It happens because the pieces of a plan were signed at different times, by different people, for different reasons, and no one ever checked that they still fit together.
This chapter walks through the five gaps we see most often. Each one is common, each one is quiet until the worst moment, and each one has a straightforward fix.
15
Five gaps that leave families exposed
“A plan that only works on paper is not yet a plan.”Pierce Law Group
Most families do not set out to leave a mess. It happens because the pieces of a plan were signed at different times, by different people, for different reasons, and no one ever checked that they still fit together.
This chapter walks through the five gaps we see most often. Each one is common, each one is quiet until the worst moment, and each one has a straightforward fix.
15
Interior spreads
The title opens alone on a right-hand page; review the following pages as facing spreads. The inside margin is the widest so type never curls into the binding. Running heads carry the book title on the left page and the chapter title on the right. Page numbers sit at the outside bottom corner.
Front matter
Your family’s plan, explained.
A plain-language guide to wills, trusts, and the decisions that hold them together
The attorneys of Pierce Law Group
title page (recto) · first page of the sample PDF
Your Family’s Plan, Explained
© 2026 Pierce Law Group. All rights reserved.
No part of this booklet may be reproduced without written permission, except for brief quotations in reviews.
This booklet is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Speak with an attorney about your own circumstances.
Attorney advertising.
First edition · Printed in the United States of America
For the families who trusted us with their stories, and whose questions shaped every page.
copyright (verso) · dedication (recto)
Contents
- IntroductionWhy most plans fail quietly1
- Chapter 1A will is not a plan7
- Chapter 2Five gaps that leave families exposed15
- Chapter 3Choosing the people who act for you27
- Chapter 4Trusts, explained plainly39
- Chapter 5Planning for incapacity51
- Chapter 6Keeping your plan current63
- ConclusionYour next three steps71
- Back matterGlossary of key terms76
v
blank verso · contents (recto) · the blank page is included in the PDF to preserve facing-page order
Chapter break
Your Family’s Plan, Explained
None of this means a will is unimportant. It names a guardian for young children, directs property that has no other instructions, and gives a court a starting point. It simply cannot carry the whole plan on its own.
The chapters ahead take the plan apart piece by piece, so you can see what each document does and where the gaps usually hide.
14
Five gaps that leave families exposed
“A plan that only works on paper is not yet a plan.”Pierce Law Group
Most families do not set out to leave a mess. It happens because the pieces of a plan were signed at different times, by different people, for different reasons, and no one ever checked that they still fit together.
This chapter walks through the five gaps we see most often. Each one is common, each one is quiet until the worst moment, and each one has a straightforward fix.
15
the previous chapter ends short on the verso · the new chapter opens recto
Body text
Your Family’s Plan, Explained
Gap 01Assuming the will covers everything
A will controls only the property that passes through probate. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and accounts with a named beneficiary pass by beneficiary designation, no matter what the will says.
If those designations are out of date, the account goes to whoever is named on the form, even an ex-spouse or a child who has since died.
- Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs
- Life insurance policies and annuities
- Bank accounts marked payable on death
- Property owned jointly with right of survivorship
Review every designation alongside the will, and keep a copy of each confirmation with your plan.
A simple test helps: if the will disappeared tomorrow, which of your accounts would still reach the right person? Those are the ones that depend on their forms, not the will.
16
Five gaps that leave families exposed
Gap 02Signing a trust but never funding it
A trust holds only what is titled in its name. A home that is still deeded to you personally, or an account still in your own name, sits outside the trust and may still go through probate.
- List each asset. Include real estate, bank and brokerage accounts, and business interests.
- Retitle or designate. Record a new deed, or change the owner or beneficiary to the trust.
- Confirm in writing. Keep the recorded deed and each institution’s confirmation together.
When the plan meets real life
The first two gaps are about paperwork. The next three are about people, and they are harder to see from the outside.
Gaps three through five all come down to the same question: does everyone who has a job in your plan know what that job is, and are they still the right person to do it?
We will take each one in turn, starting with the people you name.
17
subsection · bulleted list · numbered steps · section break · section heading
Your Family’s Plan, Explained
Gap 03Naming people without asking them
An executor, trustee, or health care agent who does not know they were chosen is starting from zero, often in the middle of a crisis. Talk with each person before you sign, and name a backup for every role.
The kindest thing you can leave your family is a plan they already understand.
Pierce Law Group
If one child will receive more than another, explain why while you can. A short, honest conversation now prevents years of resentment later.
Write down the reasons, too. A short letter kept with your plan, in your own words, can settle a disagreement that no document could.
Gap 04Forgetting the plan has to be found
Original documents locked in a safe-deposit box that only you can open help no one. Tell your executor where the originals are kept, and give your agents copies of the powers they will need.
18
Five gaps that leave families exposed
Most families find the first conversation is the hardest one. After that, updates feel routine rather than alarming.
These conversations are easier with a few words ready. Families tell us these openings help:
- Be direct.
- “I’ve made a plan, and I want you to know what’s in it.”
- Give the reason.
- “Your sister has cared for me for years, and the plan reflects that.”
- Invite questions.
- “This may be surprising. Let’s talk it through now.”
Gap 05Signing once and never looking again
A plan reflects the family you had on the day you signed. Review it every three to five years, and after any marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, or sale of a business.
19
pull quote · scripted phrases · key-point callout
Back matter
Your Family’s Plan, Explained
Glossary of key terms
- Beneficiary
- A person or organization that receives property under a will, trust, account, or policy.
- Executor
- The person a will names to settle the estate through probate.
- Funding
- Retitling assets into a trust, or naming the trust as beneficiary, so the trust can control them.
- Health care power of attorney
- A document naming someone to make medical decisions if you cannot.
- Probate
- The court-supervised process of proving a will and settling an estate.
- Revocable trust
- A trust you control and can change during your life, often used to avoid probate.
- Trustee
- The person or institution that manages trust property for the beneficiaries.
76
About Pierce Law Group
About Pierce Law Group
Pierce Law Group helps North Carolina families plan for incapacity and death, settle estates, and protect the family home. We write in plain language, meet at a pace that suits you, and keep your plan current as life changes.
77
glossary (verso) · about the firm and the call to action (recto)
Booklet style guide
The rules every Pierce booklet follows, whatever its topic or length. The previews above are built from these values (BOOKLET_MARGINS and FORMATS.booklet in src/lib/print-templates.ts).
Page and margins
| Element | Spec |
|---|---|
| Trim | 6″ × 9″ trade, 0.125″ bleed on every outside edge. Keep anything that must not be cut 0.375″ inside the trim. |
| Text block | Top 0.75″ · bottom 0.875″ · inside (gutter) 0.875″ · outside 0.625″. That leaves a 4.5″ measure, about 60 characters a line at 12 pt. |
| Running heads | Inter 600, 7.5 pt, all caps, +16% tracking, 0.42″ from the top. Book title on the left page, chapter title on the right. Leave them off chapter openers, front matter, and blank pages. |
| Page numbers | Cormorant Garamond 600, 11 pt, at the outside bottom corner. Centred on chapter openers. Lower-case roman numerals in the front matter, arabic from the introduction on. Display pages (title, copyright, dedication) carry no number. |
Type scale
| Level | Face | Size / leading | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover title | Cormorant Garamond 600, accent in 500 italic gold | 34–40 pt / 1.02 | Front cover and title page (32 pt) only |
| Chapter title | Cormorant Garamond 600, accent in 500 italic gold | 30 pt / 1.04 | One per chapter opener, under a gold “Chapter 02” eyebrow |
| Section heading (H2) | Cormorant Garamond 600 | 21 pt / 1.1 | A new topic inside a chapter. Usually follows a section break. |
| Subsection heading (H3) | Cormorant Garamond 700, optional Inter label above | 16 pt / 1.15 · label 7.5 pt caps | A numbered or named item inside a section, such as “Gap 01” |
| Body | Newsreader 400, ink | 12 pt / 17 pt | All running text. Never below 12 pt, never italic for more than a phrase. |
| Pull quote | Cormorant Garamond 500 italic | 17 pt / 1.2 | At most one per spread |
| Callout | Newsreader 400 on goldwash, eyebrow label | 11.5 pt / 1.4 | One key point or action per callout |
| Fine print | Newsreader 400 | 8.5 pt / 1.4 | Copyright page and disclaimers only |
Structure and section breaks
| Rule | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Order | Front matter: title page, copyright, dedication (optional), contents, foreword or introduction. Body: chapters, then a conclusion with next steps. Back matter: glossary, resources, about the firm with the call to action. The back cover repeats the call to action. |
| Chapters open recto | Every chapter starts on a right-hand page, 2.5″ below the top trim. If the previous chapter ends on a right-hand page, leave the left page blank, with no running head or page number. |
| Three levels, no more | Chapter › section (H2) › subsection (H3). If you need a fourth level, use a bold run-in phrase at the start of a paragraph, or split the chapter. |
| Section break | Three gold lozenges, centred, with 14 pt of space above and below. Use it where the topic turns inside a chapter. Never use a grey rule or a row of asterisks. |
| Paragraphs | Indent each paragraph 1.5 em, except the first after a heading, break, or list, which sits flush. No blank line between paragraphs. Set text ragged right, not justified, so word spacing stays even for older readers. |
| Keep together | A heading never sits alone at the foot of a page: keep it with at least two lines of text. No single line of a paragraph alone at the top or bottom of a page. A list of four items or fewer stays on one page. |
Lists, callouts, and emphasis
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| Bulleted list | Gold lozenge bullets, 1.4 em hanging indent, 5 pt between items. One level only. A nested idea becomes its own sentence or its own list. |
| Numbered steps | Gold Cormorant numerals for steps that happen in order. Start each item with a short bold instruction, then one sentence of detail. |
| Scripted phrases | When the reader is given words to say, set them as a term list: a bold label, then the phrase in quotation marks on the next line. |
| Callout | Goldwash panel with a 3 pt gold rule and an eyebrow label (Key point, Before you turn the page, What to bring). At most one per page and two per spread. |
| Emphasis | Bold marks a defined term the first time it appears; the glossary repeats it. Italic is for titles and single words. Never underline, never set a whole sentence in capitals. |
| Photography | On the cover, Bold chapter openers, and the about page only. Interior pages carry no decorative imagery, so the text is never pushed onto the next page. |
Production
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Binding | Perfect bound above 48 pages. Saddle-stitched at 48 pages or fewer, with the page count a multiple of 4. |
| Spine | Page count ÷ 444 pages per inch, rounded to 1/32″. This sample is 112 pages, so the spine is 0.25″. Confirm the PPI with the printer for the chosen stock. Print spine text only when the spine is at least 0.25″, reading top to bottom. |
| Stock | Interior 60–70 lb natural uncoated text. Cover 100 lb cover with matte or soft-touch laminate. |
| Files | Two PDF/X-4 files: the interior as single pages at trim plus bleed, and the cover as one wrap sheet. Fonts embedded. Images 300 ppi at placed size. |
| Barcode | Reserve 2″ × 1.2″ of white at the lower right of the back cover for an ISBN barcode, even if the first edition has none. |
| Compliance | The copyright page carries the not-legal-advice disclaimer and the attorney-advertising line. The firm name and address appear on the back cover and the about page. |
booklet in src/lib/print-content.json. Body pages are lists of blocks (p, h2, h3, ul, ol, break, callout, quote, terms), rendered by src/components/BookletPage.astro. Wrap a defined term in **double asterisks** to set it in bold.