Shalom,

Great question!

If we look carefully at the eighth Perek, it is talking about the border line between life and death. It starts off with who are the inheritors, and whether the father can decide who is an inheritor, or who will and will not inherit him. After that, the Mishna talks about all kinds of ways the father can play around with his possessions while he is still alive by writing different Shtaros that can give a Matana meÕChaim, and the end of the Perek is in a case of sons Gedolim and Ketanim, followed by daughters Gedolim and Ketanim, since the way the older ones were treated while the father was alive, effects what the young sons or daughters get now afther the father died, and also, there rights from their father that were constructed in the Kesuva or by Takanas Beis Din, not regarding the death of the father, but just chronologically after he dies.

The ninth Perek, starts with the similar case of children, in this case boys and girls, but with no pointer from the father what should be done with the possessions, and only Takanos or Halachos that are relevant to all the orphans, not connected to anything from life, but rather rights that are constructed because and after the fathers death. The Perek goes on to talk about other cases like that, with Halachos that have to do with the fatherÕs death but do not originate from anything in the fatherÕs life.

I hope this helps!

Aharon Steiner