#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

The Executor's Handbook, Third Edition is a step-by-step guide to settling an estate for personal representatives, administrators, and beneficiaries.

Many of you, regardless of your feelings on the matter, will eventually be appointed as executor of your parents’, spouse’s, or another’s estate. Just calling an attorney isn’t enough. Settling a decedent’s estate may require the combined expertise of accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, realtors, bankers, brokers, insurance companies, a myriad of bureaucrats, and, yes, even lawyers. Where do you start? How do you empty a house crammed with a lifetime’s worth of knick-knacks, bad art, and unopened mail? How do you deal with long-lost relatives who think you’re taking too long or charging too much? And how do you oversee those professionals who know so much more than you about the process? The Essential Executor’s Handbook not only explains the steps involved in settling an estate, but it shows you how to get all these professionals to do the work for you. You will learn everything you need to know about the basic laws and procedures involved; all the legal definitions you could possibly want; and why each professional is necessary, what they do, what they charge, and where to find them. No matter how little you know about law, accounting, and the rest, The Essential Executor’s Handbook will lead you by the hand through the settlement process.

The most complete and up-to-date estate-planning guide available 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...

"Initiate and close probate with ease, learn how to locate and manage estate assets, deal with creditors' claims, taxes and trusts, avoid the common mistakes made by many executors"--Cover.

Have you been named as an executor of a will or just want to know what the process of estate administration from a practical standpoint is all about? Then read on!This book is meant to help those who have been named as an executor, for someone who has asked a loved one in to be in charge of their estate or for one who just generally wants to know what the process of closing an estate is all about. It has some technical elements, like how to sell or transfer stock and - but the real value of the book is setting expectations. It includes advice such as; making the funeral arrangements, dividing up the jewelry and selling the furniture. More importantly, it gives the first time executor enough information so they can be conversant when talking to lawyers, accounts and beneficiaries. That's the main reason this book is different than others - it has more of the practical versus the legalese. It basically helps someone who's never been an executor before or hasn't been exposed to the process and needs a little bit of help to carry out the wishes of a loved one. It's about things like; how long the process will take, fairness with beneficiaries, what curveballs might be thrown your way and what some of the pitfalls that might be encountered. For example, you should be aware that some insurance companies will drop homeowners insurance or not honor the policy if the house is vacant for an extended period of time. Again, that's where the value of this book is, eliminating some of those first time "unknowns" of being the executor of an estate. There is also a short "What should I do if?" chapter to answer questions such as; what if someone else wants to be the executor, if someone sues the estate, if the beneficiaries don't want to sign the refunding bonds, etc...In addition to the practical help, this book can help save you some fees when you administer the estate. You can close bank accounts, close insurance policies, transfer stock, send refunding bond notices, and file the will for probate by yourself. All those things are not hard to do, they're mostly administrative in nature and can be handled by a layperson. The idea is to let the lawyers focus on their areas of expertise while you focus on those administrative items.