Books about Probate from Amazon.com

Covers the entire California probate process, from deciphering a will to tackling taxes.

If you need to wrap up the affairs of a deceased family member or friend in California, you can save attorney fees by handling the probate process yourself.

How to Probate an Estate in California is the only book that provides all the forms, tips and step-by-step instructions you'll need to settle a loved one's estate. You may even be able to handle the whole process by mail, without setting foot in the courthouse.

Learn how to:

read a will

determine who inherits property if there is no will

handle probate paperwork

collect life insurance and other benefits

transfer community property to a surviving spouse or domestic partner

pay bills and taxes

distribute property left through trusts

Even if you hire a lawyer to do the probate paperwork, this book will help you understand the process so that you can make informed decisions and communicate intelligently with the attorney about the estate. Why spend over $13,000 on a lawyer to probate a $500,000 estate, when you can do almost all of it on your own?

The 19th edition is completely updated with current probate and tax information.

FORMS:

Appendix B: Judicial Council Forms
DE-111 Petition for Probate
DE-120 Notice of Hearing
DE-121 Notice of Petition to Administer Estate
DE-121(MA) Attachment to Notice of Petition to Administer Estate
DE-131 Proof of Subscribing Witness
DE-135 Proof of Holographic Instrument
DE-140 Order for Probate
DE-147 Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative
DE-147S Confidential Supplement to Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative
DE-150 Letters
DE-157 Notice of Administration to Creditors
DE-160 Inventory and Appraisal
DE-161 Inventory and Appraisal Attachment
DE-165 Notice of Proposed Action
DE-174 Allowance or Rejection of Creditor's Claim
DE-221 Spousal or Domestic Partner Property Petition
DE-226 Spousal or Domestic Partner Property Order
DE-270 Ex Parte Petition for Authority to Sell Securities and Order
DE-295 Ex Parte Petition for Final Discharge and Order
DE-305 Affidavit re Real Property of Small Value ($20,000 or Less)
DE-310 Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property (Estates of $100,000 or Less)
DE-315 Order Determining Succession to Real Property (Estates of $10,000 of Less)

Appendix C: Non-Judicial Council Forms
Declaration Regarding Property Passing to Decedent's Surviving Spouse or Registered Domestic
Partner Under Probate Code #13500
Who Inherits Under the Will?
Schedule of Assets
Notification by Trustee
Affidavit -- Death of Joint Tenant
Affidavit -- Death of Trustee
Affidavit -- Death of Spouse
Affidavit -- Death of Domestic Partner
Affidavit -- Death of Spouse or Domestic Partner--Survivorship Community Property
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property Under California Probate Code #13100-13106
Deed to Real Property
Probate Case Cover Sheet-- Certificate of Grounds for Assignment to District (L.A. County)
Application and Order Appointing Probate Referee (L.A. County)
Change in Ownership Statement (Death of Real Property Owner) (L.A. County)
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report.
Price: $27.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Regarded as one of the best casebooks available for any course, this comprehensive text combines interesting cases, well-tailored notes, and a clear organization into an excellent teaching tool.

The new Seventh Edition retains the late Jesse Dukeminier’s unique blend of wit, erudition, insight, and playfulness and covers all the key topics in a logical, clear organization. Included are interesting cases that are not only fun to read, but fun for professors to teach as well. Cases are enhanced and connected to broader legal principles by well-written notes, questions, and problems and cartoons, illustrations, and photographs provide humorous interruptions and visual commentary at appropriate places within the text. New authors James Lindgren and Robert Sitkoff updated the book to reflect legal change while remaining careful to retain the same interesting mix of cases, engaging notes and flexible organization that makes this a highly successful casebook. Additions and improvements to the previous edition include due attention to new developments in law reform by the ALI and NCCUSL such as: Restatement Third, Trusts (2003, Uniform Trust Code (2000) including proposed 2004 amendments, Restatement (Third) of Property: Wills and Other Donative Transfers (2001, 2003)and Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act (2002. Attention is given to ongoing developments in the law such as inheritance rights of posthumously conceived children, standing of donors in suits against the trustees of charitable trusts, the rise of domestic offshore self-settled spendthrift trusts, the erosion of the rule against perpetuities and the rise of the perpetual, generation-skipping trust. There is enhanced coverage of increasingly important topics such as fiduciary administration and trust investment law (including modern portfolio theory, diversification, the principal and income problem, and measuring damages; and inheritance rights of same-sex partners, inheritance rights of children, with comparison to the other common law countries (which are far more generous to children). Also included is a more logical presentation of nonprobate transfers and their role in estate planning, fully updated tax chapter with attention to new developments such as the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Notes, questions, and problems have been revised throughout where appropriate in light of the foregoing and other developments..
Price: $59.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

No one can take their money, possessions, or land with them when they die--but they can ensure that their heirs are well taken care of. Updated to reflect the latest estate and tax laws, 60-Minute Estate Planner simplifies the complicated process of estate planning, covering what kind of information readers need to gather before they can begin. Packed with helpful forms, charts, and worksheets, the book shows readers how to:

* communicate with heirs * manage medical decisions and provide for the special needs of the young and old * reduce, defer, and eliminate as much gift, estate, inheritance, and other tax as possible * use estate planning professionals and save on professional fees for planning and administration

The book clarifies all the different possible elements of an estate plan, including IRAs, living trusts, life insurance, annuities, and more. Thoroughly revised and filled with simple-to-follow instructions, this trusted resource allows readers to ensure that their memory lives on by providing for the ones they love..
Price: $3.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

What happens to an individual's estate after they are gone is very much within their control Estate planning is not only for the wealthy; it is for everyone It is simply the process of deciding where your assets are to be distributed after your death.
For those people who wish to preserve their assets for designated purposes such as family or special charities it becomes necessary to make special advance preparations. Performing these important preparations is commonly referred to as estate planning.
For an individual to help ensure that his assets are protected and final wishes carried out, there are some common actions that need to be taken now. Proper estate planning allows you to plan for yourself and your loved ones without giving up control of your affairs.
Your estate plan should allow for the possibility of your own disability. It should give what you own to whom you want, at a time of your choosing, the way you want. Your estate plan should include fully disclosed, controlled costs for you and for those you love. The last thing you want to worry about is having it drained of value through taxes and legal costs. The right plan can protect the value of your estate and spare your loved ones unnecessary hassles and legal conflicts. This new book will help you glide through the complicated process.
One of the biggest issues you need to consider is estate taxes. For starters, Uncle Sam begins collecting gift taxes at the $1 million level. Married couples with estates over $4 million are subject to estate taxes that soar up to 46 percent and if you wish to leave money to grandchildren, estate taxes can reach as high as 73 percent!
Many books on estate planning indicate you do not need the services of an attorney, but we highly recommend an attorney versed in this area to assist you. You should not go through the process alone. What this book will do though is explain the complicated issues, terminology, and planning strategies of estate planning to the lay person (me and you) so that when you do meet with a qualified attorney, you will be well prepared. You will understand legal terms and be ready to discuss issues and strategies with familiarity, saving time and legal fees and ensuring peace of mind.
Some of the contents of the book are wills, assets, and settlement costs, probate, guardianship and minor children, executors and trustees, life insurance, living trusts, living wills, durable power of attorney, catastrophic illness, potential long-term care needs, marital deductions, types of trusts, federal and state estate exemptions, irrevocable life insurance trusts, gift splitting, survivorship deeds, charitable remainder trusts, 529 plans, health care proxy, power of attorney, reducing or eliminating estate taxes, avoiding tax on life insurance, using insurance to pay estate taxes, gift tax issues, generation skipping transfer tax, and tax deferred accounts.
Estate planning should be a positive experience. It involves reviewing your situation and planning for your future. Although most people also find it unpleasant to think about the possibility of disability or death, advance planning is also a way to show your love and to reduce potential distress later. Get started today..
Price: $13.51 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Save your family money, time and headaches with a few easy steps.

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 Probate offers simple but effective methods to skip the entire process-- plus real-world examples of how others have used them. In the end, you'll understand:

payable-on-death accounts

naming beneficiaries

special procedures for small estates

using joint ownership of property

creating a living trust

making gifts of property and money

and more

The 7th edition provides the latest estate and gift tax rules, updated 50-state tables on simplified probate, new IRS rules on inherited IRAs and 401(k)s. And more on how to leave real estate without probate -- 10 states now allow a special deed for this purpose..
Price: $13.14 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the latest tax codes, the third edition of How to Settle an Estate is the essential step-by-step guide to lead readers through the complex and daunting process of settling an estate. In clear and practical lay terms, authors Charles K. Plotnick, L.L.B., and Stephan R. Leimberg, J.D., both experts in estate planning, provide readers with invaluable advice, including:

* How to raise cash for immediate estate expenses
* Dealing with insurance claims
* Knowing when to hire a lawyer, an accountant, and a stock broker
* Managing real estate
* Distributing assets
And much more...
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Price: $5.73 [Notify me when price goes down.]

#1 Florida Probate Book

SIMPLIFY SETTLING AN ESTATE
Settling a loved one's estate - whether a will is present or not - is not difficult, but it is filled with legal technicalities you have to know. Probate and Settle an Estate in Florida clarifies all of these rules and takes you through the process in an easy-to-understand fashion. Let it help you put this trying time behind you .

LEARN HOW TO:

• Navigate Through the Probate Process
• End Claims Made by Creditors
• Prioritize Your Responsibilities to the Estate
• Close an Estate with No Will

READY-TO-GO FORMS with Step-by-Step Instructions

ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS YOU NEED TO:

• Protect your family
• Distribute property
• Resolve tax-related matters
• Finalize outstanding issues

And much more.

"Their legal survival guides are dynamite and very readable."
- Small Business Opportunities

"Explaining the way the law works."
- Daily Herald

"Sphinx [legal guides] are staples of legal how-to collections."
- Library Journal

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Price: $19.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration, 5th Edition," is a comprehensive legal resource for paralegals and legal assistants interested in this field of law. This edition incorporates information on current computer technology, including the Internet and computer software useful to the paralegal. The book also presents ethical issues in each chapter, and outlines the ABA model guidelines for legal assistants, as well as the model code of ethics and professional responsibility. Numerous definitions, state-specific supplements, and hands-on tasks, have helped make the visually appealing "Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration" a best-seller..
Price: $12.87 [Notify me when price goes down.]