Its the only sure thing in life and Harold I. Boucher's comprehensive book helps Californians prepare for it. An essential tool, California Living Trusts and Wills covers everything readers need to know before they see an estate-planning lawyer, including how, why and when to use one, and how to choose the best one for their needs. The best and easiest way to prepare for the inevitable, this book helps readers feel secure that their final directives will be followed. Straightforward, concise and clearly written for everyday people and professionals alike, it offers the most priceless commodity of all: peace of mind. Vital information includes: -- Overview of living trusts and wills -- Fill-in-the-blanks California Statutory Will -- Durable powers of attorney -- California Medical Association's Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions -- Explanation of your right to make decisions about medical treatment -- California Natural Death Act Declarations -- Estate-planning questionnaire -- How to choose an estate-planning attorney

Finally, an Estate Planning Guide for Californians Every Californian’s Guide to Estate Planning helps you understand the basics of leaving money and property to loved ones and charities, and naming a guardian for children—with a special focus on issues unique to California, like: how community property rules affect inheritance and taxes how to minimize capital gains for those inheriting high value real estate legal and tax rules that apply to non-citizens and U.S. permanent residents important issues for international guardians, trustees, and executors how to understand the impact of “Prop 19,” and make sure your heirs don’t lose a low (“Prop 13”) property tax rate, and how to avoid California’s slow and expensive probate system through options such as transfer-on-death deeds. With Downloadable Worksheets Includes access to essential worksheets that help you get started on writing a will, preparing a trust, choosing a guardian, leaving money to kids, naming beneficiaries, choosing agents for your health care directive and power of attorney for finances, doing a personal inventory, and more. details inside.

Make Your Own Living Trust can help you make an individual or shared living trust that’s valid in your state, saving your family time, money, and headaches. You can use a living trust to name beneficiaries for property and set up property management for young people. In this way, a living trust is like a will. However, unlike a will, a living trust lets your family bypass probate court— which saves everyone money, delay, and hassle. Make Your Own Living Trust provides all of the plain English instructions, worksheets, and forms you need to create an individual or shared living trust and a basic will (for yourself and your family), without the need for a lawyer. Whether you are single or part of a couple, you can use this book to: decide whether a living trust is right for your family keep control over trust property while you live appoint someone to manage trust property, if needed name beneficiaries to inherit your assets set up property management for young beneficiaries, and learn how to transfer all types of assets to your trust, including real estate, stocks, jewelry, art, or business assets. Even if you prefer to hire a lawyer to draw up your trust, you can use this book to learn about living trusts before you go to the lawyer. Using the book to learn about living trusts will save you a considerable amount of money, compared to paying a lawyer to explain it to you. All of the explanations, instructions, and examples are in the book, and the forms are available for download details inside the book. The legal forms in this book are not valid in Louisiana, Canada, or the U.S. Territories.

Written in clear, conversational English, this book can help anyone understand how a living trust avoids the complications, expenses, and delays of probate at times of incapacity and death.

This one-of-a-kind guide covers everything from wills and living trusts to tax-saving strategies and issues that are unique to people who call California home.

WE THE PEOPLE No lawyers. Save money. We The People is America's largest legal document services company. Dedicated to helping every American avoid the high cost of legal fees, We The People gives you the information you need to handle your own legal filings quickly, easily, and inexpensively. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have already liberated themselves from the tyranny of attorneys' fees--and now you can too! We The People's Guide to Estate Planning makes planning for your future as painless as possible--all without the added hassle of hiring a lawyer. This practical, nuts-and-bolts guide covers all the basics of do-it-yourself estate planning, and covers everything you need to know about living trusts, wills, probate, and estate taxes. Extra resources--a glossary of estate planning terminology; a section on frequently asked questions; samples of effective living trusts and a last will and testament; as well as worksheets and essential information on how to settle an estate--make this the best resource available for this important step in planning for the future. You'll have all the information you need to understand the legal language of a will or living trust and learn how to seek state-specific laws and customs so you can tailor your plans accordingly. In addition, you can download sample documents from which you can create your own. Inside, you'll learn all the basics and more: * Whether you need a living trust, a will, or both * Creating a valid last will and testament * Designating a successor trustee or executor to an estate * Deciding who gets what--and making sure they do * Setting up a living trust and funding it with assets * Understanding durable power of attorney documents and living wills * Tax-saving tips that help you leave more for your beneficiaries * Getting to know (in plain English) the legal language of your will or living trust * Where to download sample documents * Settling an estate with or without a valid will or living trust It's important to take care of the ones you love after you're gone. But if your estate planning isn't done clearly, precisely, and legally, you could end up creating more problems for your survivors than you solve. Do it right, do it inexpensively, and do it yourself--with We The People's Guide to Estate Planning.

Suze Orman's Financial Package is a systematic approach for organising your essential documents. The Financial Package is very different from any other product of this type, because Suze has included three CDs that actually include the forms and instructions to create your own advanced directive with durable power of attorney for health care, financial power of attorney, will, and a trust.

Don’t let a medical crisis undermine your wishes No one likes to think about it, but serious accidents and illnesses happen every day. With only a few simple legal forms, you can put important medical and financial decisions in the hands of those you trust the most—while sparing your loved ones expensive, time-consuming, and public court actions. Using easy-to-follow instructions, this book shows you how to plan for the future by preparing these official California documents: An Advance Health Care Directive, also called a “living will.” It lets you state your wishes for health care if you become incapacitated and name a trusted person who will work with health care providers to be sure you get the kind of care you want. A Durable Power of Attorney for Finances to appoint the person of your choice to manage your finances for you if you no longer can. This book also explains Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) forms, which alert emergency medical personnel not to administer extreme life-saving measures, and POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms. With Downloadable Forms (Specific to California)—The forms in this completely updated 6th edition can be downloaded from Nolo.com. Also download a bonus guide on making final arrangements (details inside).

You're the trustee. Now what? Living trusts are popular estate planning tools, but when you’re chosen to serve as a trustee, you might wonder where to begin. The Trustee’s Legal Companion has everything you need to get organized, get started, and get the job done. You’ll learn how to: decide whether to take on the job of trustee set up ongoing trusts for surviving spouses, children, or beneficiaries with special needs invest trust assets get help from lawyers, financial planners, and other experts handle taxes and prepare accountings, and work effectively with beneficiaries, and distribute trust property. The authors—attorneys who have helped many a bewildered trustee—show you, step by step, how to administer a living trust with confidence.