Learn how to plan your estate to make a most difficult time for you loved ones simple, quick, and fair. Coping with the death of a loved one is a multi-faceted problem. The emotional and psychological issues can linger unresolved far longer than the myriad and mundane tasks of gathering together assets and disposing of them. The primary reason we take the time to write a will or trust is not for our sake. It is to be sure that the legal process for our heirs is simple, quick, and fair, reflecting not just our wishes but also being mindful of the expectations and needs of those we leave behind. There may be decisions to be made for a surviving spouse such as whether to maintain the marital home, down-sizing, or using senior living facilities. Estate Planning from the Heart for Everyone is a step-by-step guide on how to make and execute these decisions. The next analysis is the actions that must be taken after death. Planning ahead for procedures for distribution of clothing, household goods, family heirlooms, and such is a major problem. Decluttering is a good idea but it is difficult and most often falls on the family who may differing views on how to handle the "stuff" we all accumulate. Interpersonal dynamics are addressed by family members and others who may second guess the actions and decisions of those in charge of the estate. Throughout the book, author and lawyer Ronald Farrington Sharpuses an "Ask the Lawyer" format to describe some common and even unusual questions friends and clients have posed to him. He answers the practical as well as legal aspects of the questions asked with suggested solutions to the concerns raised.

Learn How to Prepare Your Estate and Avoid Costly Mistakes Want to avoid probate? Gleaned from his forty-four years as an estate attorney, Sharp describes the probate process and the many reasons why it should be your last resort in estate settlement methods in How to Avoid Probate for Everyone. Living trusts are important, but there are many alternatives to using a living trust for probate avoidance. These alternatives are explained step-by-step as Sharp delves into the details. Examples of such approaches include: While state laws vary, most allow for expedited procedures for low-value estates without having to create a trust. There are a dozen different ways of leaving assets to heirs automatically at death. Special types of deeds allow you to keep control of your real estate during lifetime yet transfer it to heirs automatically at death. There are several ways of titling vehicles that allow heirs to get them without court procedures. Beneficiary designations on bank and investment accounts keep them out of your probate estate. Joint ownership of accounts and real estate can solve inheritance problems. Common myths and misconceptions about estates and probate are debunked. Trusts are covered in detail, including a section on must-use trust provisions to cover common complications and showing how a trust can easily resolve these. Joint and single trusts are examined and issues, such as how to handle personal property items, are suggested. (For instance, who gets the piano?) By avoiding probate court-supervised adult guardianship and conservatorship, families can avoid embarrassing and time-consuming incompetency hearings in court. Samples of the described documents are also included to give the reader an idea of what the paperwork actually looks like. Sharp's matter-of-fact explanations will prepare any reader to take the necessary steps to prepare their estate with confidence and avoid probate.

Readers say it best: "Very informative." "Saved me a lot of money and headaches!" "Recommend it for everyone who has to plan estates for their elderly parents" Living Trusts for Everyone is the best resource for setting up a living trust. Explaining in specific terms what benefits a trust will have, Ronald Farrington Sharp gives the tools necessary to set up a loved one's trust with no lawyers and no expense. Wills benefit lawyers. Trusts benefit the clients. Too often lawyers sell wills to clients only to sit back and wait to sell their probate services to their clients' heirs. Ronald Farrington Sharp describes the best way to handle modern estate planning and details the many advantages trusts have over wills in not only eliminating probate but in also protecting your assets for your heirs. Sharp explains why legal services are not needed to do the clerical work in settling a trust after death. This updated edition includes new information on an array of subjects, including: Elimination of the federal estate tax for most estates due to increased exemption amounts Online assets The use of passwords, usernames, and websites Keeping trustees honest and the process of removing trustees for malfeasance Forms for simplifying the planning process Strategies to lower attorneys' fees With no legal jargon, just step-by-step instructions and sample form letters, Living Trusts for Everyone takes the mystery out of the process of setting up a trust.