The Busy Family's Guide to Estate Planning: 10 Steps to Peace of Mind [With CDROM]

There are a lot of very good Estate Planning books out on the marketplace. But what I like about this book is that it looks all the legal devices you can use for estate planning (e.g., wills, trusts, living trusts, durable power of attorney, et al), as well as periphery instruments (like life insurance, 401K plans, et al), in PLANNING YOUR ESTATE to care for minor children. It provides a plan of 10 steps to get your act together. IF you ARE A YOUNG PARENT(s) WITH MINOR CHILDREN, then this book is a MUST READ to help plan your estate in case of the ultimate tragedy.

This book was easy to understand, gave me the detail I needed in a short format and answered a lot of questions I had on trusts. I recommended it to all my married children and bought a copy for my sister, as she is in the midst of estate planning. For those do-it-yourself individuals, the CD with multiple forms will be very valuable.

I thought this book was wonderful. It clearly has a target audience of young couples who have children that could possibly be left parentless before becoming adults. The information contained in this book is right on target. It starts out providing the reader with the ins and outs of guardianship. It discusses just about everything a young couple must know and consider when drafting a will that will direct the probate judge to appoint someone to look after the decedents' minor children. The book also covers what a young couple must do in order to plan for the financial support of their minor children should the couple pass away prior to their kids reaching majority age. The book presents this material in a very clear and straightforward way. Also covered are wills, living trusts, life insurance, and a few other general estate planning topics. There are some nice forms included on a CD that comes with the book. And there are also some audio files on the companion CD. I didn't listen to them, but I suspect they might be helpful to a young couple who needs to take the instruction offered by this book. 5 stars!

The Busy Family's Guide to Estate Planning answers the most basic questions about estates. The text highlights 'tips' and features 'resouces'. Also neatly laid out charts and graphs help the reader to organize thoughts on specific topics - such as wills. For example, a Will Worksheet goes through each step of creating a will. In addition, neat checklists help the reader organize paperwork and critical information. A bonus CD includes forms and worksheets. Overall, this is a no-fuss guide with a wealth of information. Valerie Atkinson Brown International Thomson Publishing

Attorney Liz Weiman Hanks' THE BUSY FAMILY'S GUIDE TO ESTATE PLANNING: 10 STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND is a pick for libraries strong in family patrons and business: it covers basic estate planning for families, from choosing a guardian for children and determining how much life insurance a family needs to learning about powers of attorney and working with a lawyer. An accompanying cd-rom holds fifteen forms, including a simple will, and worksheets to track decisions and progress.