Essential reading for an executor and anyone thinking about making or updating a will, "How to Write Your Will" is full of expert advice and easy-to-use information set out in jargon free language. It covers all the important issues, including: why to write a will; where to start; tax and legal considerations; and, the problems of dying intestate. It also provides detailed instructions for executors on valuing and administering an estate prior to winding it up. Fully revised to include all new changes to tax laws and the latest legislation on trusts, "How to Write Your Will" now features an extended chapter on documentation, information on the legal situation in Scotland, a 'how to' section and an explanation of the implications for assets in other countries. Packed with helpful information, practical examples and FAQs, it is the complete guide to wills and probate.

Avoid probate and save time and money with these eight strategies Probate can drag on for years, and can easily cost your family thousands of dollars -- money that would otherwise have gone to them. 8 Ways to Avoid Probateoffers simple and effective methods for skipping the probate process so that property goes directly to the intended beneficiaries. Your estate doesn't have to go through probate. You can avoid probate by creating a savvy estate plan, and 8 Ways to Avoid Probate shows you how. This book offers simple but effective methods to skip the entire process -- plus real-world examples of how others have used them. Find out about: setting up payable-on-death accounts naming beneficiaries, including children, institutions, and multiple beneficiaries naming beneficiaries for retirement accounts, vehicles, real estate, and stocks and bonds special procedures for small estates holding property in joint ownership, and alternatives to joint ownership using a living trust to avoid probate making gifts of property and money The 8th edition provides updates to estate and gift tax laws, updated 50-state tables on simplified probate, and additional information on how to bequeath real estate without probate -- 12 states now offer a special deed for just this purpose.