Wills and Estate Planning Subject Guide: Library Resources

If you are concerned about estate planning you may be surprised that, even with a will, the probate system can eat up as much as 10 percent of an inheritance and delay the process two years. In The Living Trust, noted living trust authority Henry Abts presents a simple, inexpensive legal alternative that eliminates the costs and delays of probate and ensures that your loved ones will receive their inheritance promptly and exactly as you intended. This new edition has been completely updated to reflect the federal tax codes and up-to-the-minute developments in the legal system.

Scrutinized for accuracy by AARP’s legal specialists, this indispensable volume covers every aspect of planning an estate and creating a will. A crash course in one handy volume, the book walks readers through the entire process, from understanding the distinction between probate and nonprobate property to delegating a durable power of attorney, and from resolving possible tax issues ahead of time to safeguarding your assets.

Accompanied by real-world examples, worksheets, sample will forms, and a glossary of terms, an essential resource furnishes a wealth of practical advice for setting up a will, choosing beneficiaries, selecting and establishing the right truest, protecting assets against Medicaid, and much more.

Estate Planning for Blended Families is the first book that will help you provide for your current spouse as well as children from both your previous and current marriages. Attorney Richard Barnes is a practicing lawyer who helps couples just like you create estate plans that take care of the entirety of a blended family.

If you care for a child or other loved one with a disability, you've no doubt thought about what will happen when you're no longer able to give that care. Fortunately, there's a simple solution to this dilemma -- create a "special needs trust."

With The Wills and Trusts Kit, you can put together a solid plan that:
--Uses both a will and a trust
--Makes tax laws work for you
--Maximizes your estate's value
--Adds life insurance into your estate planning
--Directs your executor regarding property distributions
--Selects the guardian who will raise your children
--And does so much more . . .

Includes a guidebook, CD-ROM, and two audio CDs with step-by-step instructions for creating and personalizing the four most essential documents everyone must have: a will, a revocable living trust, an advance directive and durable power of attorney for health care, and a financial power of attorney.

The American Bar Association Guide to Wills & Estates, Third Edition, contains everything you need to know about planning an estate, preparing a will or trust, and minimizing inheritance taxes. It is organized in easy-to-follow chapters with sidebars containing tips, checklists, and key information.

Let’s face it: you can't avoid death or taxes. But you can create an estate plan that will make both a whole lot easier for your loved ones and put you in control of how your assets will get passed to your heirs.

Here, Wall Street Journal personal-finance reporter Rachel Emma Silverman walks you step-by-step through the process. Chock-full of clear and solid advice on how to get the most out of the main estate planning tools - including wills, trusts, life insurance, guardianship papers, and powers-of-attorney documents - the Wall Street Journal Complete Estate-Planning Guidebook will help make your estate-planning process as simple, smooth, and unintimidating as possible.

Since its first publication in 2002, New Rules for Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning has sold more than 40,000 copies, providing a solid, accessible introduction to estate planning for any age or income bracket. Now in its sixth edition, Estate, Retirement, and Tax Planning continues this tradition, covering such topics as trusts, donations, life insurance, and wills in easy-to-understand language that offers valuable insights and solid strategies to help you preserve your wealth and plan your estate so that your assets go where you want with a minimum of taxes and government interference.