Essential information for executors or trustees for wills and trusts! Being appointed the task of carrying out the terms of a will or trust is daunting, especially if it's your first time. The good news is you won't have to figure it out alone. Certified Trust and Financial Advisor Douglas D. Wilson takes the worry out of the process and provides information on important responsibilities that must be performed after a loved one dies. This all-in-one guide includes information on: Filing a will in court Hiring a lawyer or doing it yourself Notifying beneficiaries Finding and managing the deceased's assets Paying outstanding debts or taxes You'll even find sample tax forms and step-by-step walk-throughs of what you'll need to know when overseeing asset distribution, terminating existing accounts, opening an estate bank account, and closing the estate. No matter your experience level, The Everything Executor and Trustee Book will be there to help you every step of the way!

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.

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.