Product Description: Settling an estate can be like moving through a maze -- let The Executor's Guide lead the way.
If you're faced with wrapping up the affairs of a loved one who has died, you may feel overwhelmed by all the work ahead -- especially when you're grieving. But with the right legal and practical information, you can do it.
The Executor's Guide will show you how to get organized, get the help you need and make progress one step at a time. Let it help you navigate an unfamiliar land of legal procedures and terminology. It explains:
preparing for the job of executor or trustee
the first steps to take
claiming life insurance, Social Security and other benefits
making sense of a will
what to do if there is no will
how to determine whether probate is necessary
caring for children and their property
taxes
an overview of probate court proceedings
dealing with family members
handling trusts
looking up your state's laws
working with lawyers, appraisers, accountants and other experts
The 3rd edition contains updated tables outlining key points of each state's laws, the latest information on estate taxes and worksheets that help you stay organized and on track.
Good Reference, Some Information Lacking I read this after also reading the similar Dummies book, and the good thing was that I learned some aspects of managing a Trust from each source. However, this book was lacking in a lot of the details that I'm still trying to fill in, especially dealing with certain tax issues. And, a bit shamelessly, this book promotes a whole line of other Nolo books to buy to fill in these gaps, which in the end you probably need about 3-4 other books, and another $100 or so. I do think the general information given was good, it obviously doesn't address each and every detailed situation that arises.
I still haven't found a really good source for guidance on bookkeeping/accounting, and there isn't really any software package that I've found that addresses managing a Trust which must make distributions to more than one beneficiary, which means either I haven't been looking hard enough (though I've tried) or that this is such a niche need that it doesn't exist (which is hard to believe).
Between this and the Dummies book (Estate and Trust Administration for Dummies) I'd actually recommend the Dummies book over this one.
Provides some help The book is easy to refer to for information on specific aspects of managing an estate. It has provided me with some good ideas and tips on what needs to be done. There is also quite a bit of information on dealing with trusts, which I am not concerned with. Overall, I'm glad I bought it.
This Guide Helped Me Settle My Father's Estate If you have just become the executor of your loved one's estate, let me say that I am so sorry for your loss. This book helped me get from the funeral to final settlement for my father's estate. Randolph filled this book with easy to understand descriptions, sample letters and checklists to keep you on target -- what to do first, second, third and so one.
Executor' Guide is intended to be a general guide for all 50 states so it doesn't address every state's individual laws. You may still need a local attorney to advise you on specifics for your area. There is still a lot you can do on your own. This book guides you through it.
Re: Kindle edition The good news is that contrary to the review about the "e-edition", the Kindle edition is NOT formatted in 2 columns. That review may have referred to the PDF file version one can buy from Nolo or Amazon, and the 2 column format of those is indeed extremely annoying.
The bad news is that the Kindle edition is possibly a faulty conversion from PDF, which Kindle conversion does not do at all well. The result is a table of contents that doesn't go where one expects, and generally problematic formatting and hyperlinks. It also doesn't always change type size correctly.
The other bad news is that this is the 2006 2nd edition: the 3rd is the current paper edition. This is another case of a high priced Kindle edition that has problems and is out of date to boot.
That said, if you are working on estate plans or a new will or anticipating serving as executor in future, this book will give you an excellent idea of what you'll be faced with and have to do. But when the time comes, get the current edition in paper.
executor PA state inhertince tax book tells you everything in this book for free and it is available for download from the state. I wish I had not bought the book.
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