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The Essential Handbook
The Essential Executor's Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Dealing With Wills, Trusts, Benefits, and Probate
Many of you, regardless of your feelings on the matter, will eventually be appointed as executor of your parents’, spouse’s, or another’s estate.
Just calling an attorney isn’t enough. Settling a decedent’s estate may require the combined expertise of accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, realtors, bankers, brokers, insurance companies, a myriad of bureaucrats, and, yes, even lawyers.
Where do you start? How do you empty a house crammed with a lifetime’s worth of knick-knacks, bad art, and unopened mail? How do you deal with long-lost relatives who think you’re taking too long or charging too much? And how do you oversee those professionals who know so much more than you about the process?
The Essential Executor’s Handbook not only explains the steps involved in settling an estate, but it shows you how to get all these professionals to do the work for you. You will learn everything you need to know about the basic laws and procedures involved; all the legal definitions you could possibly want; and why each professional is necessary, what they do, what they charge, and where to find them.
No matter how little you know about law, accounting, and the rest, The Essential Executor’s Handbook will lead you by the hand through the settlement process.
Just calling an attorney isn’t enough. Settling a decedent’s estate may require the combined expertise of accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, realtors, bankers, brokers, insurance companies, a myriad of bureaucrats, and, yes, even lawyers.
Where do you start? How do you empty a house crammed with a lifetime’s worth of knick-knacks, bad art, and unopened mail? How do you deal with long-lost relatives who think you’re taking too long or charging too much? And how do you oversee those professionals who know so much more than you about the process?
The Essential Executor’s Handbook not only explains the steps involved in settling an estate, but it shows you how to get all these professionals to do the work for you. You will learn everything you need to know about the basic laws and procedures involved; all the legal definitions you could possibly want; and why each professional is necessary, what they do, what they charge, and where to find them.
No matter how little you know about law, accounting, and the rest, The Essential Executor’s Handbook will lead you by the hand through the settlement process.
- GenresLaw
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2016
21 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 9, 2019
Don’t wait to read this book; read it now BEFORE you have to tie up a loved-one’s estate.
I found it to be well organized, informative and easy to read. The author clearly explained the terminology and general procedures of probate, wills, trusts, life insurance and estate taxes in the United States. Although specifics vary by state, this book will prepare you for the process. You really can’t do it just by common sense.
Forewarned is fore-armed.
As I said don’t wait, READ IT NOW while you have time.
I found it to be well organized, informative and easy to read. The author clearly explained the terminology and general procedures of probate, wills, trusts, life insurance and estate taxes in the United States. Although specifics vary by state, this book will prepare you for the process. You really can’t do it just by common sense.
Forewarned is fore-armed.
As I said don’t wait, READ IT NOW while you have time.
August 23, 2017
This book was very helpful in giving me tips and an overview of the process of executing a will. It was a pretty easy read, and the author sprinkled it with funny stories to keep me going through some of the technical stuff. I skipped some of the chapters since I wasn't actually working through an estate at the time, and the author gives an overview at the beginning so that you don't have to read all of the chapters.
August 5, 2021
This book is very helpful. I just started a new job as a Fiduciary, and learning how to be an executor of the estates of the individual is obviously a key to this. The author writes both in short, succinct chapters, but also with just a enough humor and honesty to appreciate the human element that goes behind being in charge of the affairs of another's property. Even on a personal level, as the oldest child, I had often wondered how I would attend to my parents estate when they die, this book will be most helpful. Highly recommended!
October 18, 2022
I have two issues with the book that downgraded it significantly.
One was the strong push to only use professionals for everything. Many tasks could be done by oneself. See books from Nolo.
Secondly, using the phrase "death taxes". There are no such things. You do not get taxed when you die. Your estate may be taxed but only if it is worth millions of dollars. "Death taxes" is a made up phrase put out by the Right to demonize estate taxes that only impact a tiny sliver of the population.
Estate taxes exist to try to reign in the wealth consolidation that exists today.
One was the strong push to only use professionals for everything. Many tasks could be done by oneself. See books from Nolo.
Secondly, using the phrase "death taxes". There are no such things. You do not get taxed when you die. Your estate may be taxed but only if it is worth millions of dollars. "Death taxes" is a made up phrase put out by the Right to demonize estate taxes that only impact a tiny sliver of the population.
Estate taxes exist to try to reign in the wealth consolidation that exists today.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews