Just saw a lawyer last week about estate planning. He said that the first 1.5 million (or 3 million is married) is not subjected to a death tax. I wouldn't mess around with this kind of stuff and you are starting to (or already do) have any kind of assets you want protected, go talk to a lawer who deals in estate planning. Your JAG office is definitely a good place to start. You can get a good feel for their expertise and if you need to, can see a civilian lawyer out in town. The civilian lawyers don't typically charge for that initial consultation and you can get a wealth of info in that first hour.