How to Settle a Simple Estate Without a Lawyer - The Complete Guide to Wills, Probate, and Inheritance Law Explained Simply (with Companion CD-ROM) (Electronic book text)

When a loved one dies, we want to know that their final wishes were carried out as they had hoped. Being entrusted to carry out these wishes is an enormous responsibility, and one you may not fully understand. The title of executor is given to those who have been named to administer a will and handle the specifics involved with settling an estate. Many times, a loved one dies before the executor has time to learn what the title entails. Sometimes, this title is given to family members who have little or no experience with taxes, inheritance law, and probate, leaving someone who is already grieving feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Assuming they are not capable of performing these tasks alone, many people turn to an attorney to assist in the particulars, who in return charges them hefty fees.

If you have been charged with serving as executor to a simple estate, How to Settle a Simple Estate Without a Lawyer can bring you up-to-date -- quickly -- on everything you need to know about wills, trusts, probate, taxes, and much more. This book will help you assess whether the estate under your control can be settled without an attorney. Estates that involve guardianship of a child and complex trusts may require the assistance of a lawyer. Before paying expensive attorney fees to settle a rather straightforward estate, allow this book to explain all the basics you need to know to tackle this project on your own, saving you thousands in the process.

In this book, you will learn about identifying the different types of trusts -- such as charitable trusts, generation-skipping transfer trusts, living trusts, and totten trusts -- as well as taking the first steps as an executor, navigating the probate process, paying the debts of an estate, and distributing bequests. You will be provided with a complete dictionary of all terms relating to estates, a list of common mistakes that novice executors often make, and an array of resources available to you beyond a lawyer. This book will explain the duties you will perform as the executor, as well as how to set up a filing system for important documents involved with the estate, claim life insurance and social security benefits, read the will, manage assets and pay bills involved with the estate, and transfer property belonging to the estate.

We spent hundreds of hours interviewing estate planning professionals and gathering information from novice executors, such as yourself, who share their tips and advice for successfully settling an estate without paying thousands. Settling a loved one's estate can be a taxing experience when also trying to cope with his or her passing, especially if the subject is foreign to you. Don't worsen the experience by throwing away your hard-earned money and hiring an attorney to settle a simple estate you can feasibly handle on your own.