From Library Journal
There has been so much public interest in estate planning that it is no surprise that three new books on the subject have emerged at the same time. Each takes a different approach and addresses different goals. The American Bar Association Guide to Wills and Estates overviews the law of estate planning. It provides explanations of wills, trusts, and living trusts and covers essential information like choosing an executor, dealing with taxes, and planning for disability. An estate-planning checklist allows readers to evaluate their own situation to create or update their estate plan. Important concepts appear in shaded boxes; there is also a helpful section on where to get more information. The most basic of the three titles, this is a good choice for those getting started or looking for an organized review of the issues. Written for those who want to draft their own wills, Anosike's volume is in workbook style with text, forms, and worksheets that provide an outline of things to consider and procedures for constructing the instruments necessary for an estate plan. The author also provides forms for constructing a living will for each state as well as the legal requirements for a valid will in every jurisdiction. There are useful details in this book, including a sample letter of instructions to an executor. The writing and layout could use some polish, but the information is current and complete. Do-it-yourselfers will want to compare this to Denis Clifford's Nolo's Simple Will Book, 2d ed. (Nolo Pr., 1989; updated in later printings), which is somewhat cleaner in style. Attorney Platt has designed his book to prepare the reader to become better informed to participate in the planning process with estate professionals. He is clearly an advocate of the living trust, the popular device that allows individuals to place their assets in trust while they are still alive. The trustor retains control of the assets during his or her lifetime, with heirs avoiding expensive and time-consuming probate procedures after the trustor's death. Platt's treatment of the topic is expansive and timely. He devotes entire chapters to the unique problems of people with AIDS and for those with children with special needs. There is a solid glossary and a worksheet for determining net worth. Recommended for subject collections.?Joan Pedzich, Harris, Beach & Wilcox, Rochester, N.Y.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From the Inside Flap
Estate planning is for everyone who wants to protect the ones they love.

The American Bar Association Guide to Wills & Estates, Second Edition, contains everything you need to know about planning an estate, preparing a will or trust, and minimizing inheritance taxes. Organized in easy-to-follow chapters with sidebars containing tips, checklists, and key information, this book will show you how to make plans that will be carried out exactly as you wish.

The ABA Guide to Wills & Estates will help you:
• Take steps to help your family now
• Determine what to put in your estate plan
• Decide whether to prepare a will, trust, or living trust
• Avoid or reduce estate taxes
• Change your plans if the law or your circumstances change
• Transfer property without a will with substitutes such as life insurance and joint tenancy
• Understand the benefits of living gifts and life insurance
• Choose an executor and trustee
• Ensure that your will won't be contested


About the Author
The American Bar Association is the nation's leading legal authority and the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The complete and easy guide to all the law every adult should know about distributing property at death and planning for possible incapacity. Even though the percentage of Americans with wills has been rising, most Americans still neglect to prepare a will or trust, subjecting their heirs to confusion, costing their estates money, and resulting in distribution of their assets according to state law, rather than their own preference. Most also don't prepare a living will or other health-care directive, risking profound emotional and financial stress on their loved ones.