This popular how-to guide contains the information you need to draft a simple will, allocate assets to beneficiaries, and prepare for possible disability. This planner guides you through the estate planning process step-by-step. You will learn how to gather all the necessary information, how to use that information to prepare your legal documents, and proper methods for storing each document.
The book includes these forms, along with instructions on how to complete each one: statutory power of attorney, medical power of attorney, living will, declaration of disposition of last remains, last will and testament, and a letter distributing personal property. The author has included examples of completed forms, so you can see what each form should look like upon completion. And blank, fillable forms are provided on the accompanying CD
The book also includes other helpful tools, including answers to FAQs, an asset checklist, a glossary of estate planning terms, and some record-keeping documents.
All this useful material comes in a handy three-ring binder, with colorful tabs organized by topic, so you can quickly find the information you need as you plan your estate!
A. GATHERING INFORMATION
1. Will Basics: Planning A Will In Colorado
2. Probate: Introduction To The Estate Administration Process
3. Taxes: Minimizing Estate Taxes
4. Non-Probate Assets: Property Not Disposed Of With A Will
5. Estate Planning: Beginning The Process 6. Asset Checklist: Detailed List Of Assets And Liabilities
7. Fiduciaries: People You Should Trust
8. Beneficiaries: Who Should Gain?
B. DOCUMENTS AND PREPARATION
Understanding Powers Of Attorney
Common Power of Attorney Terms
Types Of Powers Of Attorney
1. Financial Powers Of Attorney: Planning For Your Financial Future
2. Medical Powers Of Attorney: Planning For Your Medical Needs
3. Advance Directives (“Living Wills”)
4. Will: Basic Instructions For Preparing Your Will
5. Personal Property Letter: Convenient Disposition Of Tangible Personal Property
6. Glossary: Estate Planning And Probate Terms
C. INDIVIDUAL INFORMATION
1. Document Storage: Where To Keep Your Estate Planning Documents
2. Important Information
Mark D. Masters is a Denver attorney who limits his practice to estate planning, estate administration, business planning, and tax. Mark is President of the Colorado Bar Association’s Trust & Estate Section. In addition to writing legislation, Mark has written articles for The Colorado Lawyer and contributed to a standard reference book on tax and estate planning for Colorado attorneys. He has written for the public in The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News and been quoted in Bloomberg Business News.
Mark holds a BA from the University of Colorado-Boulder and JD from Washburn University School of Law. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Paralegal Studies Department of Arapahoe Community College, and has been a continuing education lecturer and program planner for other Colorado attorneys in Trusts & Estates and Tax since 1992.
A third-generation Coloradan, Mark is an amateur musician and a former radio announcer. He is married and has two daughters.
Format: Loose-leaf Binder with CD
Copyright: 2004, 2009
Pages: 132
ISBN: 1-883726-91-3
Publisher: Bradford Publishing Co.
