Everyone Tells You to “Talk to an Attorney”.
No One Tells You How to Stay Organized In Between.
No One Built A System... Until Now
They’ll tell you what forms to file. What deadlines to meet. And what the law requires.
But what happens after the meeting — when you’re back at the kitchen table with a stack of folders, grieving family members and the silent pressure to “figure it all out”?
No one prepared you for that part. No one shows you how to live inside the in-between — the endless calls, receipts, documents and decisions that fill your days…
… All while trying to grieve yourself.
You’re left alone in the space between what the law requires and what real life demands.
It’s a fog where every task feels urgent, but nothing feels clear. It’s a gap no one built a system for… until now.
You’ve probably said this to yourself already:
“I just don’t want to mess anything up.”
“I wish someone would just tell me what to do next”.
You’re doing your best, but every question seems to lead to three more.
You’ve spoken with the attorney. You’ve called the bank. You’ve emailed the accountant.
But somehow, you’re still the only one trying to connect all the dots — to figure out what’s missing, what’s urgent, and what can wait until tomorrow.
Plus, every family member has a different idea of “how things should go”.
It’s not your fault. You’ve been handed responsibility without a roadmap or navigational system.
What you need isn’t another legal form — it’s a framework that helps you see the whole picture.
You’ve probably seen what’s out there for estate management solutions. There are tools so complicated you’d need hours of training to use them. There are “checklists” so simple they fall apart the moment real life gets messy.
The Estate Compass was designed to live in between those extremes. It gives you just enough structure to stay in control without turning you into an IT administrator or paralegal.
It’s organization that feels:
Human, not technical;
Guided, not rigid;
Professional, but peaceful.
Imagine This Instead...
Now, imagine this instead: You open one screen and suddenly, everything makes more sense.
Every asset, debt, and document is right where it should be.
Tasks are organized by stage, not scattered across notebooks.
You can see what’s done, what’s next, and what can wait — even when emotions make it hard to think.
Family members finally understand the plan — no more guesswork.
The Estate Compass doesn’t replace your professionals. It helps you work better with them.
It’s the missing system that completes the process — built by someone who’s stood in your shoes, guided families through loss, and knew there had to be a calmer way.
You don’t need to do this alone, wandering through the fog. You need a compass.
Can only confirm functionality in Google Sheets.
Because clarity is the kindest thing you can give yourself — and your family — right now.
Built from the work of helping families through transition
Before I built this system, I was working two kinds of care — at the bedside and at the closing table.
As a registered nurse, I learned that compassion is more than caring — it’s being present in someone’s hardest moments, listening when answers don’t come easily, and respecting every choice they have to make. Nursing taught me to bring calm to chaos, to meet people where they are, and to help them take the next right step when life feels uncertain.
It also taught me something else: no one does this work alone. Good nursing is multi-disciplinary — physicians, therapists, social workers, families — all working together for a single outcome. The same holds true in probate and real estate: attorneys, accountants, agents, and family members each handle their part, but someone still has to hold it all together.
That someone is usually the family. And that’s where things fall apart.
When I began serving families as a real-estate agent, I saw that same pattern repeat — only now the overwhelm wasn’t medical, it was legal and logistical: homes to sell, estates to settle, decisions to make through grief.
I realized both worlds needed the same thing: a framework for compassion and clarity working together — something to bring order to complex, emotional situations.
That’s why I created The Estate Compass — to guide families through the practical side of loss with the same steadiness, empathy, and respect I brought to the bedside.
— Alex Craig, Founder, Dolinski Group
The COMPASS Framework: A seven step path from overwhelm to order
Each letter represents a stage of calm progress:
C – Collect & Capture → Gather what exists before taking action.
O – Organize → Build your command center.
M – Map & Prioritize → Confirm what’s real, what’s verified, and what needs attention.
P – Prepare → Get systems and finances aligned before acting.
A – Act & Maintain → Execute tasks and track expenses with confidence.
S – Simplify → Clean up, consolidate, and archive.
S – Sustain & Settle → Review, reconcile, and close the loop.
Inside the spreadsheet, every phase connects — so you always know where you are and what comes next.
The estate compass is not a legal tool. It’s the navigation system that helps you stay oriented through every step of the journey.
What’s Included When You Enroll
Estate Compass Spreadsheet
Your digital command center. Built in Google Sheets with smart drop-downs, auto-calculations, and linked dashboards. Track assets, debts, documents, and tasks across the entire estate.
In the spreadsheet, you will find:
Auto-Calculated Probate Status – estimates probate vs. non-probate categories based on Michigan guidelines. (Organizational only — confirm with legal counsel.)
Executor Override Fields – create a transparent audit trail when professional advice updates classifications.
The Dashboard – visually shows estate progress and verified totals.
Burn-Rate Tracker – see how much cash the estate is burning through to hold onto real estate.
Directory Sync – every contact, heir, or advisor linked to their relevant task and document.
Pre-Loaded Task Library – includes over 80 curated next-steps drawn from real estate and probate experience, guiding you through what to do — and in what order — from day one.
Debt Verification Tracker – a simple status column to log known balances, unknown liabilities, and creditor claims as they arrive. Built for clarity, not legal determination.
Real Estate Decision Dashboard – visualize burn rate and timing to choose the best sale strategy, using built-in market averages or your own inputs.
Document Tracker Tab – keeps wills, trusts, death certificates, and key records in one clear view. When linked with Google Drive, it becomes a seamless document hub — turning digital chaos into effortless organization.
Contact Log – keeps every professional, heir, and helper organized in one place. Record conversations, track follow-ups, and build a clear record of who’s handling what — no more digging through old emails.
The Digital Guidebook
A calm companion that walks you through each stage — written in plain language, not legal jargon.
Mindset Prompts that ease the emotional load.
Action Checklists that keep you moving in order.
Advanced Tips for Google Drive linking, file automation, and organization.
Think of it as your navigation manual — not your courtroom binder.
Self-Guided Course Access
You’ll receive access to the self-paced video modules (hosted via Thinkific). Each short, focused lesson pairs explanation with hands-on demonstration in the spreadsheet.
Everything is paced to feel calm, clear, and achievable — no overwhelm, no rush.
Reference Library & Resource Hub
Michigan-specific and national resources are built into the system: links to official probate sites, IRS resources, and trusted legal education portals — so you can verify, not guess.
Course curriculum
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Welcome: A Guided Path Through One of Life’s Hardest Journeys
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Navigating The Course
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-
-
Understanding Estate Management
-
-
-
The Compass Explained
-
Calibrating Your Compass
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Disclaimer: Not Legal, Tax, or Financial Advice
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-
-
Spreadsheet Orientation
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Download & Make Copy of Spreadsheet
-
-
-
Using The Spreadsheet to Capture Data
-
-
-
Organize Estate Assets & Debts
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About this course
- Free
- 19 lessons
- 1 hour of video content
Get Organized, Gain Clarity, Settle The Estate
Who It's For
The Estate Compass was built for real families handling real estates — not corporations, trust departments, or complex multi-business portfolios.
Executors & Personal Representatives → Who’ve been handed responsibility but no roadmap.
Heirs & Family Members → Who want to help without making things worse.
Real Estate Professionals, Advisors, and Fiduciaries → Who need a structured way to support clients through transitions.
Attorneys & Financial Professionals → Who want to offer clients an organizational system that saves time and reduces back-and-forth.
It’s especially suited for average-sized estates — homes, bank accounts, personal belongings, and a few investments.
If you’re working with an estate that involves multiple companies, trusts, or advanced legal structures, The Estate Compass can still help with organization — but it’s not meant to replace professional estate management software or attorney guidance.
In short: it’s designed for the everyday executor — the person doing their best to bring clarity and calm to a difficult time.
Not a Ledger — A Launchpad for Clarity
Some people look for a detailed accounting ledger to track every transaction or balance an estate bank account.
That’s not what The Estate Compass™ was built for — and that’s by design.
Most banks and accountants already handle formal accounting.
Where families actually get lost is before that point — in the clutter of papers, unknown accounts, unverified debts, and scattered to-dos.
That’s where The Estate Compass shines.
It’s not built to replace ledgers — it’s built to make them make sense.
You’ll use it to:
Collect and organize every asset, debt, document, and contact.
Identify what’s missing and what still needs verification.
Prepare accurate, transparent information to hand off confidently to your attorney, accountant, or bank.
By the time the numbers matter, your information is clean, clear, and ready.
The Estate Compass doesn’t manage estate funds — it helps you manage the process that leads to them.
If you’re looking for a detailed ledger or accounting platform, this isn’t the right tool.
But if you need structure, visibility, and peace of mind while managing everything before that point — you’re in exactly the right place.
Built from Michigan Probate Experience — Useful Everywhere
The Estate Compass was designed from years of working with families selling real estate as part of settling an estate.
That’s where its structure and logic come from — real cases, real homes, and the real steps families take between the legal filings and the final sale.
Because probate laws vary by state, a few details may differ or not apply to your local process.
But the heart of the system — collecting, organizing, mapping, and preparing — remains universal.
You can easily adapt the framework to any state or situation:
Use the same tabs and stages to stay organized.
Replace Michigan-specific references with your own local forms or court links.
Keep the structure, because clarity works everywhere.
The Estate Compass is rooted in Michigan experience — but its purpose is broader: to bring calm, order, and confidence to families navigating the estate process anywhere.
Why It Works
The Estate Compass doesn’t replace your professionals — it helps you work better with them.
When you’re the one holding it all together, clarity isn’t just helpful. It’s essential.
You’ll walk into every conversation — with attorneys, accountants, or family — prepared, organized, and calm.
You’ll know what’s complete, what’s pending, and what comes next.
Makes Meetings Simple
No more scrambling through papers or second-guessing details. You’ll arrive knowing exactly where things stand and what decisions are next. The summaries and status tools create structure everyone can trust.
Built for Real Families, Not Accountants
Created by Dolinski — where real estate expertise meets bedside compassion — this isn’t corporate software or a sterile accounting template.
It’s a system built by someone who’s been in both worlds: a Michigan real-estate professional and registered nurse who’s guided families through their hardest transitions.
It’s More Than a Spreadsheet — It’s a Framework
Most tools give you boxes to fill out. The Estate Compass™ gives you direction.
Its built-in C.O.M.P.A.S.S.™ framework (Collect → Organize → Map → Prepare → Act → Simplify → Settle) guides you through the process so you always know what comes next.
You’re never left guessing where you are or how to move forward.
Keeps Everyone on the Same Page
Executors, attorneys, accountants, and heirs all see the same structure. Shared spreadsheets, linked folders, and color-coded summaries bring everyone into alignment — reducing confusion, calls, and miscommunication.
It turns a complicated process into a shared source of truth.
Course curriculum
-
-
Welcome: A Guided Path Through One of Life’s Hardest Journeys
-
Navigating The Course
-
-
-
Understanding Estate Management
-
-
-
The Compass Explained
-
Calibrating Your Compass
-
Disclaimer: Not Legal, Tax, or Financial Advice
-
-
-
Spreadsheet Orientation
-
Download & Make Copy of Spreadsheet
-
-
-
Using The Spreadsheet to Capture Data
-
-
-
Organize Estate Assets & Debts
-
About this course
- Free
- 19 lessons
- 1 hour of video content