Wills & Trusts Kit For Dummies (2^nd Ed.)

Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your assets will pass to your family according to your wishes

Regardless of your age or income, writing a legal will is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family. But where do you begin? Wills & Trusts Kit For Dummies walks you through the most important considerations to have in mind when you?re deciding what will happen to your estate when you?re gone.

Writing a will or setting up a trust isn't as fun as binge watching the latest hot web series, but this book makes the task a little less daunting. Find out who needs a will or trust (spoiler alert: everyone!), when you should create one, and how to take the first steps. Handy online content includes practical worksheets, forms, and templates that simplify and explain the process of estate planning in language that doesn't require a legal education to understand. With the help of Wills & Trusts Kit For Dummies, you'll have a document that details your final wishes before you know it.

• Navigate probate, tax, and state laws that govern how property is passed to the next generation
• Avoid the most common estate planning pitfalls and mistakes
• Choose qualified professionals and specialists to help you make the best decisions for your family
• Designate a guardian for your children and plan for their financial needs

You deserve to know that your loved ones will be properly taken care of when you?re no longer with them. Wills &Trusts Kit For Dummies delivers straightforward guidance and peace of mind on a subject that, sooner or later, we all must face.

*Please reference the Introduction to access a webpage where you will find a number of downloadable files and forms to create a will, living trust, living will, durable power of attorney, and healthcare proxy.*

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Your Will or Trust 5

Chapter 1: Ensuring That Your Last Wishes Are Honored 7

Chapter 2: Making Crucial Decisions 25

Chapter 3: Gathering Pertinent Information 41

Chapter 4: Planning Your Bequests 53

Chapter 5: Providing for Your Children and Dependents 77

Chapter 6: Dipping into Your Pocket: The Tax Man (and Others) 87

Part 2: Everything You Need to Know about Wills 107

Chapter 7: Writing and Signing a Will 109

Chapter 8: Navigating the Land Mines 127

Chapter 9: When You Already Have a Will 145

Chapter 10: Estate Administration: What Happens in Probate Court 157

Part 3: Trust Me! How Trusts Work 171

Chapter 11: The Anatomy of a Trust 173

Chapter 12: Dead or Alive: Picking Your Trust 187

Chapter 13: When You Already Have a Trust 209

Part 4: Carrying Out the Intent of Your Will and Trust 219

Chapter 14: Planning for Your Incapacity 221

Chapter 15: Those Cushy Retirement Funds 245

Chapter 16: Life Insurance: Making Sure It Doesn’t Backfire 259

Chapter 17: Your Castle: How It’s Owned Makes a Huge Difference 271

Part 5: The Part of Tens 285

Chapter 18: Ten Common Will Mistakes 287

Chapter 19: Ten Reasons to Have a Trust 295

Chapter 20: Ten Tax Traps to Avoid When Planning Your Estate 303

Part 6: Appendixes 313

Appendix A: State Signing Requirements 315

Appendix B: State Inheritance Taxes 341

Appendix C: Estate Planning Worksheet 345

Index 373

Aaron Larson is an attorney practicing law in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He formerly worked for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, where he developed professional education programs for lawyers in areas including estate planning. He operates the ExpertLaw website.