Now in its 5th edition, this proven handbook guides readers through the complexities of sensible and clear estate planning. In Germany, nearly 15% of all families currently fall under the category of blended families. A blended family refers to a situation where, after a divorce or the end of a partnership, a new marriage or civil partnership is entered into, involving children from previous relationships of the partners. However, German inheritance law does not recognize the configuration of blended families, meaning that upon the occurrence of statutory succession, the regulations intended for the traditional family model apply, often leading to unwanted and conflict-ridden consequences for those involved. The 5th edition takes into account current case law up to and including April 2023. Additionally, it incorporates the new valuation regulations for real estate in tax law that have been in effect since January 11, 2023, as far as insights were available by the editorial deadline. The Guardianship Organization Act (BtOG) is part of the guardianship law reform passed in 2021 and came into force on January 1, 2023. It replaces, among other things, the previous Guardianship Authority Act (BtBG). These new regulations are also considered in the new edition, as far as they directly or indirectly affect inheritance law. Contents include: divorced wills - regulatory objectives - inheritance in advance and in succession - execution of wills for subsequent heirs - tax law aspects of wills for blended marriages - design issues - parental custody/visitation rights - stepchildren - tax aspects - withdrawal of asset management from the divorced spouse - arbitration clause. Numerous sample formulations complement the discussions.