The American Bar Association guide to wills & estates: everything you need to know about wills, estates, trusts, and taxes

Description

First steps. Why you should plan your estate : how you can save money and be sure you've done it right ; Getting started : don't procrastinate -- Transferring property without a will : you have many ways of getting money to people without fuss or delay. Lots of little "wills" : your guide to will substitutes ; Life insurance : an old standby has lots of uses ; Joint tenancy : it's easy and cheap-- but watch out for pitfalls -- Wills : what should be in yours? Wills 101 : the basics ; What goes in the will : what to put in and what to leave out ; After the will is written : follow these steps to be sure your will does the job -- Trusts and living trusts : they can do a lot-- but they're not for everyone. How trusts work : a quick look at a misunderstood tool ; Do you need a trust? : as usual in the law, it depends ; Living trusts 101 : the basics ; Setting up a living trust : your guide to doing it right -- Putting the tools to work : some tips for people with particular needs. Providing for the kids : tips for every age of offspring ; Married, with or without children : most of us want to see that our spouse is taken care of, but how? ; Splitting up : divorce and remarriage ; Beyond convention ; no two families are the same ; Estate planning for business owners : the law gives you lots of options-- but you have to use them well ; Providing income for your final years : estate planning and retirement ; Controlling costs in your final years : paying for long-term care -- Death and taxes : strategies for holding on to as much as you can. Death and taxes : trying to make sense out of rules that keep changing ; Tax planning 101 : trusts ; Tax planning 102 : the benefits of living gifts and life insurance -- When you can't make the decision : confronting your biggest fear now can make a big difference later. Delegating decisions : advance directives ; Planning for end-of-life decisions : living wills and organ donation -- Putting the plan into action after your death : steps you can take now to help your survivors. Easing the burden on your family : there's a lot you can do to help-- now ; Choosing the executor : some tips on getting the right person ; Trustees : you can choose a person or a company to get the job done ; Probate : a quick primer on how it's done -- Where do you go from here? -- Appendix A. Estate-planning checklist -- Appendix B. Sample basic will (annotated) -- Appendix C. Health-care advance directive.;The American Bar Association Guide to Wills & Estates, Fourth Edition, is the user-friendly guide that contains everything you need to know about planning an estate and preparing a will. It is organized in easy-to-follow chapters with sidebars containing tips, checklists, and key information, encouraging you to begin the process quickly and easily. The ABA Guide to Wills & Estates will help you: Determine what to put in an estate plan Decide whether to prepare a will, trust, or living trust Avoid or reduce estate taxes Transfer property without a will with substitutes such as life insurance and joint tenancy Understand the benefits of living gifts and life insurance, among many other topics The Fourth edition features new and updated topics, such as: Life-threatening and chronic illnesses Incorporating your religious beliefs into your estate plan Assisted reproduction and its resulting estate planning implications Civil unions and same-sex marriages Elder abuse and care Information about Roth IRAs in estate plans The impact of digital assets on estate planning. First steps. Why you should plan your estate : how you can save money and be sure you've done it right Getting started : don't procrastinate -- Transferring property without a will : you have many ways of getting money to people without fuss or delay. Lots of little "wills" : your guide to will substitutes Life insurance : an old standby has lots of uses Joint tenancy : it's easy and cheap-- but watch out for pitfalls -- Wills : what should be in yours? Wills 101 : the basics What goes in the will : what to put in and what to leave out After the will is written : follow these steps to be sure your will does the job -- Trusts and living trusts : they can do a lot-- but they're not for everyone. How trusts work : a quick look at a misunderstood tool Do you need a trust? : as usual in the law, it depends Living trusts 101 : the basics Setting up a living trust : your guide to doing it right -- Putting the tools to work : some tips for people with particular needs. Providing for the kids : tips for every age of offspring Married, with or without children : most of us want to see that our spouse is taken care of, but how? Splitting up : divorce and remarriage Beyond convention no two families are the same Estate planning for business owners : the law gives you lots of options-- but you have to use them well Providing income for your final years : estate planning and retirement Controlling costs in your final years : paying for long-term care -- Death and taxes : strategies for holding on to as much as you can. Death and taxes : trying to make sense out of rules that keep changing Tax planning 101 : trusts Tax planning 102 : the benefits of living gifts and life insurance -- When you can't make the decision : confronting your biggest fear now can make a big difference later. Delegating decisions : advance directives Planning for end-of-life decisions : living wills and organ donation -- Putting the plan into action after your death : steps you can take now to help your survivors. Easing the burden on your family : there's a lot you can do to help-- now Choosing the executor : some tips on getting the right person Trustees : you can choose a person or a company to get the job done Probate : a quick primer on how it's done -- Where do you go from here? -- Appendix A. Estate-planning checklist -- Appendix B. Sample basic will (annotated) -- Appendix C. Health-care advance directive.