The executor's guide: settling a loved one's estate or trust

Part I Getting Ready 1. Overview 2. If You're Asked to Be an Executor or Trustee Part II First Steps 3. The First Week 4. The First Month 5. Claiming Life Insurance, Social Security, and Other Benefits Part III Taking Care of the Estate 6. Making Sense of the Will 7. If There's No Will 8. Taking Inventory 9. Managing Assets and Paying Bills 10. Caring for Children and Their Property 11. Taxes Part IV Transferring Property 12. Property That Doesn't Go Through Probate 13. Transferring Joint Tenancy and Other Survivorship Property 14. Transferring Community Property 15. Claiming Money in Retirement Plans 16. Claiming Payable-on-Death Assets 17. Special Procedures for Small Estates 18. The Regular Probate Process Part V Handling Trusts 19. Wrapping Up a Simple Living Trust 20. Managing a Child's Trust Part VI Getting More Help 21. Finding More Information 22. Lawyers and Other Experts G. Glossary A. Appendix: State Information Index.

Part I: Getting Ready. 1. Overview

2. If You're Asked to Be an Executor or Trustee

Part II: First Steps. 3. The First Week

4. The First Month

5. Claiming Life Insurance, Social Security, and Other Benefits

Part III: Taking Care of the Estate. 6. Making Sense of the Will

7. If There's No Will

8. Taking Inventory

9. Managing Assets and Paying Bills

10. Caring for Children and Their Property

11. Taxes

Part IV: Transferring Property. 12. Property That Doesn't Go Through Probate

13. Transferring Joint Tenancy and Other Survivorship Property

14. Transferring Community Property

15. Claiming Money in Retirement Plans

16. Claiming Payable-on-Death Assets

17. Special Procedures for Small Estates

18. The Regular Probate Process

Part V: Handling Trusts. 19. Wrapping Up a Simple Living Trust

20. Managing a Child's Trust

Part VI: Getting More Help. 21. Finding More Information

22. Lawyers and Other Experts

Glossary

. Appendix: State Information

Index.

Pt. I. Getting ready. The executor's legal companion ; Overview ; If you're asked to be an executor or trustee

Pt. II. First steps. The first week ; The first month ; Claiming life insurance, Social Security, and other benefits

Pt. III. Taking care of the estate. Making sense of the will ; If there's no will ; Taking inventory ; Managing assets and paying bills ; Caring for children and their property ; Taxes

Pt. IV. Transferring property. Property that doesn't go through probate ; Transferring joint tenancy and other survivorship property ; Transferring community property ; Claiming money in retirement plans ; Claiming payable-on-death assets ; Special procedures for small estates ; The regular probate process

Pt. V. Handling trusts. Wrapping up a simple living trust ; Managing a child's trust

Part VI. Getting more help. Finding more information ; Lawyers and other experts

Glossary

Appendix : State information.