By: Denis Clifford Publisher: Nolo Press Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 250 Publication Date: 2002-04 Studio: Nolo Press
Amazon.com Review: Most of us know that upon our demise, a succession of fees and taxes will eat into our estates--no matter their size--if we don't plan now to protect them. Unfortunately, many of us still postpone this process because we hesitate to summon the outside legal assistance that's traditionally been required. The folks at Nolo Press have made it their mission to provide us with the means to complete a relatively uncomplicated official arrangement like this without lawyers, however, and their third edition of Make Your Own Living Trust offers hope even to the most hesitant among us. With easy-to-follow instructions, helpful worksheets, and all of the forms necessary, attorney Denis Clifford shows both individuals and couples how to avoid otherwise inevitable delays and costs by preparing on their own to transfer their property directly to their designated heirs. Clifford's method involves the creation of a "living trust," which is a basic legal entity that allows property to be simply passed along in this way immediately upon the death of the person who created it. He outlines advantages and drawbacks, and then clearly lays out the entire process. The excuses stop here. --Howard Rothman
Product Description: Death may be inevitable, but probate doesn't have to be. By creating a living trust, your property will bypass lengthy and expensive probate proceedings and go directly to the people you've designated, quickly and easily.
Make Your Own Living Trust explains how to create a living trust, transfer property to the trust and amend or revoke the trust at any time. Specifically, it covers how to:
*create various living trusts, including an AB trust
*transfer assets to your trust, including real estate, stocks and bonds, jewelry, art, or a small business
*name beneficiaries for all trust property
*sign your document and make it legal
*appoint someone to manage property left to minors or young adults
*provide for trust property management if you become incapacitated
*retain absolute control over trust property while you live
Make Your Own Living Trust includes all the forms you need -- as tear-outs or on CD-ROM -- to create your own trust, plus step-by-step instructions for filling them out. Completely updated and revised, the 5th edition covers new estate tax laws and how they affect estate planning. It also discusses making a trust the beneficiary of retirement accounts and life insurance, and provides more information on AB trusts.
Very pleased ^ The book shipped on time and arrived in excellent condition. I will definitely order from this company again.
A book you can trust ^ This book is written in a way that's easy to understand. Even if you don't make your own trust, the info is invaluable to understanding the ins and out of creating and managing a trust. You can skip to the chapters that most apply to you although I read the book from beginning to end. The forms to use are in the back of the book along with a CD that also has the forms. Lastly, the book tells you if the included forms are appropriate for your circumstance or if you need to see a lawyer.
Make Your Own Living Trust ^ Wills must go through the long and winding road of the probate process, which can take a year or more and drain at least five percent of the value of your estate in the form of legal fees. That's $15,000 on a $300,000 estate! This book discusses something called a Living Trust, which does the same thing as a will in terms of delivering your assets to your beneficiaries, but does it without probate, without delays, and without legal fees. The book explains what can and what should not be handled by a Living Trust, and also explains other probate avoidance methods. If you want to prepare a Living Trust or a basic will or any of dozen or so legal documents, the book includes both tear-out forms and also a CD with all of the documents in MS Word format. A great resource to help you gather and organize all of the data that summarizes your financial life. If you've ever been the executor of a parent's estate you'll wish they had read this book.
Trust not trustworthy ^ I filled out the trust form, and a friend had a trust attorney in another state look at it. He told me it was a confusing document and not to use it, and at no charge, gave me an outline of what should have been written. Do not bother with this book.
Learning about Livikng Trust ^ The book seems to be very good and could be very useful in the future.
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