The complete book of wills, estates & trusts Advice that can save you thousands of dollars in legal fees and taxes
Book - 2021
"The classic legal guide to wills, estates, and trusts--with more than 100,000 copies in print--now substantially updated and revised! Whether grappling with modest or extensive assets, The Complete Book of Wills, Estates, & Trusts has long been the indispensable guide for protecting an estate for loved ones. In this completely revised fourth edition, updated to cover the latest changes in estate law, attorney Alexander A. Bove, Jr. synthesizes his decades of field and classroom experience into honest, clear, and entertaining explanations of a host of complex legal topics, including: how to create a will and living trust how to use a will to avoid probate and legal complications how trusts work and how to use trusts to save taxes h...ow to contest a will and how to avoid a contest how to settle an estate or make a claim against one how to establish a durable power of attorney how to protect assets from creditors In his straightforward and humorous style, Bove shares easy-to-understand legal definitions, savvy advice on taxes, and pragmatic and simple sample forms, all illustrated with entertaining examples and actual cases. This is the only legal guide readers will ever need to ensure that their money and holdings remain in the family"--
- Subjects
- Genres
- Law for laypersons
Popular works - Published
-
New York :
St. Martin's Griffin
2021.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Other Authors
- Edition
- 4th edition. Fourth edition
- Item Description
- Prev. edition is classed under KF755.Z9.
Includes index. - Physical Description
- x, 396 pages ; 24 cm
- ISBN
- 9781250792747
- A Helpful Introduction
- Special Note to Readers
- Acknowledgments
- 1. The World of Wills
- Your Own Nobel Prize
- The Probate Process-Step by Step
- Do You Really Need a Lawyer?
- Keep This in Mind
- 2. Do You Really Need a Will?
- Heirs and Shares
- Probate Property vs. Nonprobate Property
- Options Your Will Offers You
- Keep This in Mind
- 3. What Is a Will?
- Formalities of a Will
- Signing Your Own Will at Home
- Who May Make a Will?
- Wills Made in Another State
- What Property Will Pass Under Your Will?
- Joint Wills
- Where to Keep Your Will
- Keep This in Mind
- 4. How to Cancel or Change Your Will
- The Formalities Required for Changing a Will
- Changing Your Will (Intentionally or Unintentionally) by Disposing of Your Property
- Involuntary Changes in Your Will-When There Isn't Enough Money to Go Around
- How to Revoke Your Will
- Reviving a Previously Revoked Will
- Keep This in Mind
- 5. Common Will Provisions
- A Question of Words, and the Use of "Boilerplate" Language
- Some Common but Necessary Will Provisions
- Understanding the Difference Between Real and Personal Property
- Dealing with Oriental Rugs, the Coin Collection, and Heirloom Jewelry
- Leaving Something to Charity
- Some Final Words About Words
- Keep This in Mind
- 6. Uncommon Will Provisions-Controlling from the Grave
- The Requirements of a Conditional Bequest
- Some Varieties of Conditional Bequests
- Conditions on Burials, Funerals, and Memorials
- Defaming from the Grave-Having the Last Bad Word
- Noncontest Provision
- Keep This in Mind
- 7. Spouses' and Children's Rights to an Estate
- Disinheriting a Spouse-With and Without a Will
- Rights of Divorced or Separated Spouses Under a Will
- Premarital (and Postmarital) Agreements-and Wills
- Children's Rights Under a Will
- Special Family Allowances
- Keep This in Mind
- 8. Estate Management
- Who Pays the Debts and Expenses of the Estate-and When?
- Investing Estate Assets
- Accounting to the Court and to the Beneficiaries
- When You Can Get Your Share
- Quick Settlement Procedures for Certain Estates
- Keep This in Mind
- 9. Personal Representatives
- Who Can or Should Be Your Personal Representative?
- Powers of the Personal Representative
- Fees of the Personal Representative
- Removing a Personal Representative
- Keep This in Mind
- 10. Will Contests, Lost Wills, and Beneficiaries' Rights
- Who May Contest Your Will
- Grounds for a Contest
- How to Contest a Will
- Costs and Delays of a Will Contest
- How to Prevent a Contest
- Probating a Lost Will
- Keep This in Mind
- 11. Avoiding Probate and Wills Altogether
- Avoiding Probate Through Joint Ownership and Other Do-It-Yourself Methods
- Out-of-State Property-Double Your Probate, Double Your Legal Fees
- Avoiding Probate with a Durable Power of Attorney
- Why You'll Still Need a Will
- Keep This in Mind
- 12. Everything You Need to Know About Trusts
- The Basics of Trusts-A Working Overview
- Coordinating Your Plan-Putting Your Trust to Work
- Trusts for the "Family"
- Asset Protection Trusts
- Offshore Asset Protection Trusts
- Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)
- Decanting Trusts
- Special Purpose Trusts
- Keep This in Mind
- 13. Probate, Trusts, and Taxes
- Probate vs. Taxes
- A Word About Our Tax System
- What Is Included in Your Estate?
- Taxable Value
- Trusts and Income Taxes
- Trust Tax Reporting Requirements and Tax Rates
- What a Trust Beneficiary Needs to Know
- The Federal Gift Tax
- The Federal Estate Tax
- The Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
- Tax-Oriented Trusts
- Tax-Oriented Family Trusts
- Keep This in Mind
- 14. Dealing with Lawyers
- Hiring an Estate-Planning Lawyer
- Hiring an Estate-Settlement Lawyer
- Lawyers' Fees-Planning Estates
- Lawyers' Fees-Settling Estates
- Firing an Estate Lawyer
- Keep This in Mind
- Appendix: Personal Representative's Checklist
- Glossary
- Index