The Mom's Guide to Wills & Estate Planning

by Liza Hanks

Easy-to-follow planning steps that every parent can-and should-take to protect their family Millions of parents with young children know that now is the time to do something in the way of estate... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1413310710
• ISBN13: 9781413310719
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: NOLO
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

helpful book for new moms

I knew after I had my son that I would need to start thinking about creating a will. This book really helped me understand what I needed to do to make sure he was taken care of. The book is easy to understand and has very clear guidelines and goals. After reading it, I knew how to choose the person who would take care of my son (if my husband and I couldn't) and how to organize my assets to make sure my son inherits them (and at the right age). I found the section on investment accounts for minors extremely helpful, too. Overall, I highly recommend this book for moms (and even dads) looking for general information on creating wills.

Dummy's guide for estate planning for parents

I own quite a few books from NOLO. I am never disappointed by any of them. Their books are always informative and easy to read. This one is no exception. First of all, you have to know this is not a book about estate planning in general. This is about estate planning for your kids. You not only get step-by-step instructions about estate planning, you also get a very good idea about what it is about. I highly recommend it.

Never hurts to be prepared

Thinking about dying and what will happen to my children when it happens is not something that I want to really think about. But I realize that I need to make sure everything is in order when the time comes and this book is an excellent guide that I am using to help me through the process. I think all parents should consider reading this book.

informative, easy-to-digest book - it's like estate planning for simpletons

like many folks, i've delayed "estate planning" because it was so intimidating. despite reading tons of material on the topic, it seemed so overwhelming. combining the legal draw of the nolo brand with the reader-friendly USA today, this small breaks down the basics of estate planning step-by-step. written in plain english by an attorney, this book clearly explains what all the factors are, what you should worry about, how you should approach, etc... while this book is not a complete guide since it doesn't have the documents, it has handy worksheets. this is not a replacement for a DIY estate planning, especially if your situation is complex. but since you'll most likely hire an attorney, this book helps you gather and focus the info you need while you consult, thus making the entire process much simpler for everyone. highly recommend it to everyone.

Outstanding reference for anyone with questions about estate planning

Nolo Press, in collaboration with USA TODAY, has published a very useful and informative book titled THE MOM'S GUIDE TO WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING, by Liza Hanks, an attorney who specializes in estate planning. Frankly, I'm not sure why the book is titled a "MOM'S GUIDE" because, after all, the information is useful for anyone--a mother, a father, or any adult who is understandably confused by what is, frankly, a complicated but essential part of life planning. (USA TODAY's contribution, in part, is to provide the wonderful chart graphics that can be seen in their daily newspaper.) In its ten chapters plus a very detailed appendices, Liza Hanks lays out virtually everything you'd want, and need, to know: for those of you with children, a chapter on guardianship. A chapter on organizing your assets (wish my father had done so, but because he never did, it meant combing through mountains of paperwork and reconstructing everything). How to leave money to your kids. Why you need a will. Whether or not you should create a living trust. Naming beneficiaries for any retirement accounts. The need for life insurance (my father was woefully underinsured!). Powers of attorney. No one plans on dying prematurely, but it happens. A lot. I know of one family who is destitute because the father, in his thirties, died unexpectedly, leaving his wife and FOUR children behind, with no income and just enough insurance to bury him. Trust me: If he had the opportunity to correct anything in his life, he would have wanted to provide for his wife and children. My father never planned on dying prematurely, and when I questioned him about it, his response was: "Son, don't worry about it. I'm not planning on going anywhere." My dad was an educated man: a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degree. But he had insufficient life insurance and died in his mid-sixties, and left his estate in chaos: We had to comb through every piece of paper in his office and laboriously reconstruct his assets. Planning for one's eventual death simply makes good sense. What you do for your spouse/family/loved ones while you are alive is par for the course. But if you really want to take care of them when you can't, when you aren't around, you had better plan on taking control of your estate rather than leave it to chance, misinterpretation, and family in-feuding. This book is your first step in the right direction. Read it. Learn from it. And implement what it recommends. It'll be the best money you've ever spend. And those whom you've left behind will belatedly thank you for caring enough to take care of them when you could no longer do so.