The Complete Executor's Guidebook

by Benjamin H. Berkley

Book Overview

A step-by-step guide to settling a loved one's estate.

Being an executor or personal representative is no easy task. For many, the job comes at a time of high emotion and is something that has never been done before. The Complete Executor's Guidebook is here to help ease this troubling time and make this overwhelming task manageable.

It gives you everything you need to navigate through all the paperwork and responsibility...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157248604X
• ISBN13: 9781572486041
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Sphinx Publishing
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

By reading this book an executor will definitely be an educated consumer when consulting with an est

I liked this book. It is one of the better books available to help an estate administrator better understand her job as Executor, Successor Trustee, or both. The book is split into four sections and 21 chapters and includes five appendices: §1. Preplanning and transition (1-7) §2. Estate administration (8-21) §3. Appendix (A-G) §4. Glossary of Terms 0. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) 1. Plain English definitions: Wills, Probate, Trusts 2. Making sure the shoe fits to be the Executor 3. Preplanning: A conversation with your loved one 4. When death is imminent 5. At the time of passing: Your first steps 6. At the time of passing: Managing the surviviors 7. At the time of passing: Notification and getting organized 8. Locating, organizing, itemizing, and categorizing the assets and liabilities of an estate 9. Navigating the sea of probate 10. Formal probate: The next steps 11. When there is no Will (laws of intestate succession) 12. Interpretting and enforcing the language of the Will 13. When a formal probate is not required 14. Managing the assets and liabilities of an estate 15. Obtaining benefits for the estate (life ins, SS, retirement, etc.) 16. Personal and estate taxes 17. Your right to compensation 18. Your role as an advisor 19. Revocable trusts and trust management 20. Do I need an attorney? 21. Words of thanks A. Representative's Checklist B. Notification - List of contacts to notify upon decedent's passing C. State-by-state summary of probate laws D. Unclaimed property E. Sample forms: Final Accounting Report, and Order on Accounting F. Blank forms: 5 included. (#4) Accounts & Debts Organizer, (#5) Personal Data & Record Locator G. Resources Probate laws vary from state to state. I especially liked the information provided in Appendix C regarding state-by-state summary of probate law. And it was nice to see the author reference two relevant IRS publications: Publication 559 and Publication 950. But Chapter 16 regarding taxes was too short for my liking. At page 115 there is a great overview of an Executor's responsibilities. Why wasn't it moved to the front of the book? I would have liked it better there. And I would have liked to see some talk of self-proving wills and disclaimers. But none was to be found. And at pages 8 and 205 there is some mention of "fiduciary." But this is such an important concept with regard to executors that I felt it should have been fully defined and explained. Does an executor work for the estate or the beneficiaries under the Will? Does the executor owe a duty to the estate? Does he owe a duty to the beneficiaries under the Will? In a way I found this book sloppily written. The outine of chapters could most certainly be redone so the material would flow better and be easier for the reader to understand. For example, chapters 2, 20, 17 and 18 all relate to the executor. Why weren't they grouped together? Chapters 9, 10, and 13 all deal with probate. Why weren't they kept together. And I found the