Executor

This work sets forth the extensive requirements to probate a
will. It explains the complexities of trusts. In addition,
it sets forth basic definitions. For instance, tangible property
consists of jewelry, automobiles, articles of clothing and
things of value. The author cites the need for a full audit
to determine value for distribution purposes. The trustee
has the duty to assemble assets, pay debts, make distributions,
write to financial institutions to determine account values and review all beneficiary claims. This book will be very helpful
to anyone involved in a probate for the first time. It directs you to the sources of information
for the probate. In addition, there is a complete itemization
of the tasks involved in the probate, contact points and an
exhaustive discussion of the process and protocols of
probating a will. The work is written from a layperson's
perspective. It is a must purchase if this is your first
experience with the Probate Court.

This is a workbook-for both those comtemplating death or planning for it as an eventuality. It is also an instructional book on various methods of dealing with property so that one's wishes are fulfilled after death. Even young adults should have this to help parents or friends deal with loved ones with fatal or potential fatal diseases.

The author is an extremely experienced tax preparer who has encountered clients who have suffered through the trials of being an executor. This book will help those creating a will as well as those who have already been named as executor. Legal pitfalls, timelines for expected execution, traps from disgruntled heirs, tax code areas and many other problems are discussed. No situation is without problems, but this book will go a long way in preventing sleepless nights of those with the legal and fiduciary responsibility created by a will.

With all the living trusts out there, this book is an absolute requirement for your library. It will assist you in planning for and then executing your duties as trustee. It combines knowledge from attorneys, case law, income tax code and real life situations. The author has a keen sense of dry accountant-type humor which clarifies serious situations. Step-by-step help, but much more than a simple checklist. The examples will also assist you in avoiding landmines from failing to fulfill your duties by allowing you to clearly understand your obligations and a time-line for execution of them.

Very intriguing novel. I'm looking forward to Greenberg's next book. However, being a Catholic, I found Mr Greenberg's use of Jesus Christ as an expletive on just about every other page, very offensive. In case he decides to write another novel, I wish he'd take my review into consideration and refrain from using the Lord's name in vain.

Dr. Greenberg's first novel is very exciting. I was eager to finish one page to get to the next but had to savor each page of well written characters, scenes and emotion. If you like a good thriller with complexity and depth, you will enjoy Adam's Will.

I was looking for a good thriller/mystery and I found it in Steven Greenburg's first novel Adam's Will. I was captivated from the first to the last page and I contribute this to the author's passion for the written word. Mr. Greenburg developed and excellent and exciting plot with several unexpected and startling twists that will keep you guessing at one of America's most puzzling mysteries. If you haven't read Adam's Will, go get it and enjoy a fresh and electrifying experience!

When you probate an estate yourself, you're your own lawyer. Fortunately Nissley, et al, and the State of California have made this possible for typical small family estates. Working through our own actual situation, with the help of this book, provided a much-needed education about what to do and what not to do in planning my own estate matters. What the book doesn't address is the difficulty the Executor or representative faces in managing through the attitudes, complaints and opinions of the others affected by the death of a loved one.

This edition seems to have been edited piecemeal to keep up with changing laws and tax matters, and some of the references within the book are incorrect. But my main objection is the unhappy practice in the book of requiring the reader to keep referring to other sections of the book to complete a form or prepare for a filing.

As a layman with no legal experience whatsoever, I acted as executor and recently concluded probate... from another state entirely, without ever having set foot in California! All of the court-related matters were handled through the mail/fax thanks to the indispensable guidance of this book.

Even if you're not acting as executor (or can't decide if you should), any party to probate should consider this book a "must-have". It is written for an executor but there is so much information on the 'mysterious' court procedures, anyone involved in a CA probate would be well-served by purchasing this book if for nothing other than to know "what is probate?" and "what is going on?"

As executor, it's easy enough to find the forms on California court sites, and some (sites) have sketchy details to assist in filling them out (the court probate examiner informed me the most common cause of delays in an individual probate case is due to improperly filled out forms). But even this relatively simple step requires you have an understanding of how the civil court system works; something I am fairly certain too few people have (myself included). Not only does this book familiarize you with the court system and its procedures (a rewarding learning experience in its own right), as well as gameplan the (typical) entire probate process but shows in explicit detail how to fill out every line of every form you'll most likely need.

None of this is to say probate is easy - I have not found mine to be and the estate was relatively simple. DIY probate is a lot of (detail/organizational) work. But I believe a large amount of the work involved for the first-time DIYer is due to unfamiliarity with the law, court procedures and its paperwork. Reading the book gave me the confidence that even so, I could do it myself and consult with an attorney on occasion rather than just washing my hands of it (and a pile of cash) by turning probate over to an attorney at the outset.

I was fortunate in that my probate case was relatively straightforward to be handled as it was. But even if it weren't, you MUST arm yourself with information of this nature if you're considering hiring an attorney. Get that information in one topical, detailed and pleasant-reading book.

Thanks so much Julia!

You can buy this with your eyes closed. I'm ain't loaning this one out.

Probate isn't the most exciting subject matter but Nissley will tell you what you need to know to get through it.

I also recommend Mary Randoph's "8 Ways to Avoid Probate".

If you are like me and find that any discussions of a financial or legal nature make you feel stupid or scared, then this book will put you at ease immediately. At a time when grief interferes with comprehension and yet when you MUST be able to perform the duties of executorship capably, this is THE book to help you. It takes you step by step calmly in plain language. All duties which an executor has to be familiar with are covered comprehensively yet in a manner that is down to earth. All legal terms that are not fully explained in the text of the book are explained in even more detail in the excellent glossary at the back of the book. Without being facetious, The book could also be called" Executorship for Dummies." It is THAT easy to follow and use. ...This book is all you need. No need to shop around. This is IT. Sincerely, Thomas Bethke

If you are like me and find that any discussions of a financial or legal nature make you feel stupid or scared, then this book will put you at ease immediately. At a time when grief interferes with comprehension and yet when you MUST be able to perform the duties of executorship capably, this is THE book to help you. It takes you step by step calmly in plain language. All duties which an executor has to be familiar with are covered comprehensively yet in a manner that is down to earth. All legal terms that are not fully explained in the text of the book are explained in even more detail in the excellent glossary at the back of the book. Without being facetious, The book could also be called" Executorship for Dummies." It is THAT easy to follow and use.

If you are like me and find that any discussions of a financial or legal nature make you feel stupid or scared, then this book will put you at ease immediately. At a time when grief interferes with comprehension and yet when you MUST be able to perform the duties of executorship capably, this is THE book to help you. It takes you step by step calmly in plain language. All duties which an executor has to be familiar with are covered comprehensively yet in a manner that is down to earth. All legal terms that are not fully explained in the text of the book are explained in even more detail in the excellent glossary at the back of the book. Without being facetious, The book could also be called" Executorship for Dummies". It is THAT easy to follow and use. Go to the author Douglas Wilson's web site ...to find out more about the vast years of knowledge and experience that this man brings to his essential book for those who must administer the estates of their loved ones. This book is all you need. No need to shop around. This is IT. Sincerely, Audrie Bethke at Abethke103@aol.com

Book is very comprehensive but it is a long and somewhat boring read. Of course, when you are talking about death and taxes how do you make it interesting? Thank goodness for the use of real live examples to liven up the text. Was hoping for identification of strategies for married couples with different ranges of net worth ($600K to $1.2M range, $1.2M to $5M range, and over $5M). Did not find these strategies easily by reading the book. Book is written in terms the laymen can understand. Since many of us will be executors of estates someday it is useful information. Book does help explain many of the aspects to consider when planning your estate. Good reference on basics of estate planning.

A great introductory book for the layman; it takes complicated subject matter and explains it in terms that the average person can understand. As a trust professional, I have recommended it to many of my customers

As an overview, it's difficult to imagine a better introduction to the labyrinthine ways of settling an estate. But as to details and particulars, it's woefully inadequate. The checklist at the end of the book is helpful. The thesis, viz., KEEP RECORDS, is important. But it's examples and suggestions on how to do certain, e.g., tangible acts, like dealing with creditors, secured versus unsecured claims, goes unmentioned. despite its enormous importance. There's only two sample letters, and they're not altogether novel or esoteric. Again, a good overview, just very short on particular issues, examples, and samples.

I will probably be asked in the next few years to be an executor, but, as is mentioned in this book's introduction, "You know generally that an executor is someone who handles the affairs of a deceased person, but you have no idea how to get the job done." After reading this book, you know that the first thing to do after the funeral is to hire an estate attorney to tell you what must be done. The book also mentions that it might be possible to totally avoid probate, which could greatly simplify things and save money. This book stresses that there is no need to try to be a do-it-yourself executor. You're definitely going to consult with a lawyer to see what the current estate laws are in your area, and you might need to also hire other professionals, but these people should all remain hired hands; the executor must stay in command. I didn't expect this book to give the estate-law quirks for all fifty states; you might find that some of what it says doesn't apply in your state. It's still a very good introduction to being an executor, and it let me know that an executor doesn't have to be totally helpless in legal land. That in itself is worth the book's cost!

I have read six different books concerning wills, probate, and trusts in the past few months. Of the books that I have read, this is clearly the best. All of the standard stuff is here - except the constant reminders by the authors to hire an attorney. Unlike nearly all the other books, the authors do not talk-down to readers. The language was never too simple-minded and only in a few cases did I have to read a paragraph again to determine its meaning. The authors give hints and insights which I did not find in the other books. And the book contains the best explanation I have read concerning why trying to determine and report the lowest possible value of estate assets is not always the best idea. I do not plan to die for several years. If I could give to my future executor only one book, this would be it. I miss only estate/probate information about each state. Therefore, I am still confused about the interrelationship between state estate reporting and taxes and federal ones. Essentially, everything depends on the value of the taxable estate. If 20% of the readers of this book do so in anticipation of a death, my bet is that only 1% of those will have a taxable estate over $1 million. And those people not having a million-dollar estate (after 2006) will not need to pay federal estate taxes - thereby eliminating the need for most of the book. First-time executors reading the book because of immediate need and suspecting a taxable estate value more than $675,000 will be able to afford to hire a lawyer to do the (subjectively) most difficult parts of the job.

This book was a great disappointment. It is far inferior to its main competitor, "How to Settle an Estate" by Plotnick and Leimberg. There just isn't very much information in it. The text is only 103 pages long, with large margins and not much print on each page versus 273 dense pages for Plotnick and Leimberg. The rest of the book is appendices containing filled-in forms, with 2 extra pages per form for an appendix title page and a reverse blank page. Compare Plotnick and Leimberg's detailed discussion of the Form 706 estate tax return with Bauers's advice: "see a CPA". Or the glossary: 3 sparse pages in Bauers versus 17 dense pages in Plotnick and Leimberg.

Or compare a specific glossary item, the definition of "executor":

Bauers: a person designated by will to administer the estate of the deceased.

Plotnick and Leimberg: The person named by the deceased in her will to manage the decedent's affairs; the personal representative of the decedent who stands in the shoes of the decedent, pays the debts and taxes, and makes distribution of the remaining property to the beneficiaries and heirs.

For anyone facing the task of being an executor, the choice is clear - and the better book is cheaper, too!

Where There's A Will...: A Guide For The Executor Or Administrator Of An Estate experienced estate executor and administrator F. William Bauers, Jr. is a practical, accessible, no-nonsense guide for anyone charged with the somber responsibility of being the executor or administrator of an estate. Within its pages are countless useful sample forms as well as solid and practical information concerning money and tax issues, obligatory duties, required notifications, and much more. Enhanced with a glossary of commonly-used terms, as well as 29 appendices (including forms in use, samples of letters to be written, financial presentations, and tax forms) Where There's A Will... is very highly recommended for anyone bearing the heavy burden of duty.

Where There's A Will is written in a clear and usable style. The pages are large which make the book easier to read and to lay open. The information is presented succintly, logically and sequentally. How to Settle An Estate (a smaller book which would naturally require more pages for equal content) was published in 1986 and some of the information is out of date. Comparing the number of pages is not as important as the comparison of content. How to Settle an Estate is more difficult to read and follow. This book was authored by two professors and appears to be taken from lectures to their law classses over a period of time. There is repetition and the entire text would have to be read more than once in order to follow it. For an ordinary grieving person who is appointed as an executor to an estate, Where There's a Will is more readily understandable and more immediately applicable to the situation at hand.