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Purchase Benefits
Preface | |
Introduction | |
Frequently Asked Questions | |
Preplanning and Transition | |
Plain English Definitions | |
Wills and Probate | |
Trusts | |
Making Sure the Shoe Fits | |
Accepting or Declining the Appointment | |
Anticipating Demands of the Heirs | |
Stepping Up in a Time of Need | |
Think About it | |
Resigning After Accepting the Appointment | |
Preplanning: A Conversation with Your Loved One | |
The Testator's Last Wishes for Funeral and Final Interment | |
Storage of the Documents | |
The Consequences of Items being Kept in a Safe-Deposit Box | |
The Reluctant Testator | |
Potential Future Issues that could Affect the Estate | |
When Death is Imminent | |
Providing Assistance in Making Legal Decisions | |
Petition for Conservatorship | |
Alternative Housing Options | |
Hospice Care | |
At the Time of Passing: Your First Steps | |
Making Funeral Arrangements | |
Managing the Estranged Spouse | |
Funeral Expenses | |
If Death Occurs at Home | |
Anatomical Gifts | |
Autopsies | |
Placement of Children with the Guardian | |
Taking Care of Pets | |
If the Decedent Lived Alone | |
Help Someone Else and Recycle | |
At the Time of Passing: Managing the Survivors | |
Providing Emotional Support | |
Managing Sibling Rivalry | |
Show Me the Money: Managing the Greedy and Impatient Heirs | |
Managing the Heirs' Expectations | |
Managing the "Entitlement Disease" Factor | |
A Few More Words about the Grubby, Greedy Heirs | |
Dealing with Estranged Heirs | |
Do Not Take Sides | |
Be the Peacekeeper to Your Family | |
Confront Resentment Head-on | |
Respect the Grieving Process and Religious Customs | |
At the Time of Passing: Notification and Getting Organized | |
Locating the Will and Other Estate Planning Documents | |
Reading of the Will | |
Notification | |
Obtaining Death Certificates | |
Solving Immediate Problems | |
Estate Administration | |
Locating, Organizing, Itemizing, and Categorizing the Assets and Liabilities of an Estate | |
Locating the Assets of an Estate | |
Examine the Contents of a Safe-Deposit Box | |
Discovery of Embarrassing Assets | |
Discovering Stocks and Bonds | |
Review Correspondence from Attorneys and Other Professionals | |
Wrongful Death Claims | |
Review Past Tax Returns | |
Review Correspondence from Real Estate and Title Insurance Companies | |
Itemizing the Assets | |
Categorizing the Assets and Liabilities | |
When a Safe-Deposit Box is Jointly Owned | |
Navigating the Sea of Probate | |
Understanding the Need for a Formal Probate | |
Getting Started: Initiating a Probate Action | |
Probate Time Line | |
Step One: Filing the Petition for Probate | |
The Role of an Attorney | |
Where to File the Petition | |
Ancillary Probate | |
Step Two: Producing the Original Will | |
Step Three: Giving Notice | |
Step Four: The Initial Probate Hearing | |
Proving the Validity of the Will | |
Handwritten Wills | |
If the Maker of the Will was Physically Unable to Sign His or Her Name | |
When There are Two or More Wills | |
Whether You Should be Appointed | |
The Requirements of a Surety Bond | |
Prior to the Hearing | |
Will Contests | |
Formal Probate: The Next Steps | |
Acknowledgment of Responsibilities | |
Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative | |
Overview of the Responsibilities of a Representative | |
Bank Accounts | |
Form SS-4 | |
Inventorying the Estate | |
Formal Notification to Creditors | |
Collecting Debts Owed to the Estate | |
Filing the Accounting and Closing the Estate | |
Distributing Assets to Beneficiaries | |
When There is No Will | |
Understanding the Need for Intestate Succession | |
Untangling the Legalese into English | |
Determining Who the Children Are | |
Other Heirs at Law | |
Interpreting and Enforcing the Language of the Will | |
Interpreting Who Receives Specific Gifts | |
Interpreting Conditional Gifts | |
Interpreting When a Child is No Longer a Minor | |
Interpreting Who is the Child of the Decedent | |
Interpreting Gifts for Pets | |
Interpreting Assets Left to a Group | |
When a Will Makes Illegal Provisions | |
When the Maker of the Will Tries to Control from the Grave | |
When a Will's Provisions are Illogical | |
When a Will Leaves Property that No Longer Exists | |
When the Will Leaves Non-Probate Assets | |
When a Will Leaves Property to a Former Spouse | |
When a Will Excludes a Spouse's Legal Rights | |
When the Will Leaves Property to a Testamentary Trust | |
When the Will Leaves Property to a Pourover Trust | |
When a Formal Probate is Not Required | |
Transfer of Assets by Affidavit | |
Sample Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property | |
Sample Affidavit of Domicile | |
Summary or Informal Probate | |
Managing the Assets and Liabilities of an Estate - | |
Managing Assets that Diminish in Value | |
Managing Real Estate | |
Evicting a Tenant | |
Managing Personal Property | |
Managing Investments | |
Managing an Ongoing Business | |
Managing Debts of the Estate | |
Creditor Claims | |
Obtaining Benefits for the Estate | |
Life Insurance and Annuities | |
Mortgage Insurance | |
Widow's Social Security Benefits | |
Widow's Social Security Disability Benefits | |
Employment Retirement Plan Benefits | |
Bank Account Benefits that are Payable on Death | |
Savings Bond Benefits | |
Redeeming Traveler's Checks | |
Redeeming Unused Airplane Tickets and Prepaid Travel | |
Personal and Estate Taxes | |
Federal and State Personal Tax Returns | |
Federal and State Estate Tax Returns | |
Gift Tax Returns | |
Your Right to Compensation | |
Compensation for Administering an Estate | |
When there are No Available Assets to Pay Compensation | |
Waiving Compensation | |
Petitioning for Extraordinary Fees | |
Importance of Keeping Accurate Records | |
Your Role as an Advisor | |
Payable on Death Bank Accounts | |
Retirement Accounts | |
Transfer on Death Registration of Securities | |
Transfer on Death Registration for Vehicles | |
Joint Tenancy | |
Revocable Living Trusts | |
Gifts | |
Life Insurance | |
Creating and Revising Wills and Other Documents for Surviving Spouses | |
Sample Affidavit-Death of Joint Tenant | |
Sample Affidavit-Surviving Spouse Succeeding to Title to Community Property | |
Revising the Named Guardian | |
Continued Emotional Support | |
Daily Living Assistance | |
Revocable Trusts and Trust Management | |
Translating Trust Terminology into English | |
A/B Bypass Trusts | |
The Role of the Trustee | |
When the Trust Names Cotrustees | |
Declining Your Appointment as Trustee | |
Comparison of Trustee and Executor | |
Step-by-Step Guideline for Trustees | |
Investing the Assets of the Trust | |
Compensation for Managing a Trust | |
Seeking Professional Advice | |
Do I Need an Attorney? | |
Attorney Fees | |
Preparing for Your Appointment | |
Do's and Don'ts for Your First Meeting with the Attorney | |
Finding a Probate Attorney | |
Words of Thanks | |
Glossary | |
Representative's Checklist | |
Notification | |
State-by-State Summary of Probate Laws | |
Unclaimed Property | |
Sample Forms | |
Blank Forms | |
Resources | |
Index | |
About the Author | |
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.