Product Description

No other book covers living trusts better -- or more simply -- than this bestselling book.

Death may be inevitable, but probate doesn't have to be. By creating a living trust, your property will bypass lengthy and expensive probate proceedings and go directly to the people you've designated, quickly and easily.

Make Your Own Living Trust explains how to create a living trust, transfer property to the trust and amend or revoke the trust at any time. Specifically, it covers how to:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #489214 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Amazon.com Review
Most of us know that upon our demise, a succession of fees and taxes will eat into our estates--no matter their size--if we don't plan now to protect them. Unfortunately, many of us still postpone this process because we hesitate to summon the outside legal assistance that's traditionally been required. The folks at Nolo Press have made it their mission to provide us with the means to complete a relatively uncomplicated official arrangement like this without lawyers, however, and their third edition of Make Your Own Living Trust offers hope even to the most hesitant among us. With easy-to-follow instructions, helpful worksheets, and all of the forms necessary, attorney Denis Clifford shows both individuals and couples how to avoid otherwise inevitable delays and costs by preparing on their own to transfer their property directly to their designated heirs. Clifford's method involves the creation of a "living trust," which is a basic legal entity that allows property to be simply passed along in this way immediately upon the death of the person who created it. He outlines advantages and drawbacks, and then clearly lays out the entire process. The excuses stop here. --Howard Rothman

Review
"In Nolo you can trust. ...Denis Clifford's clearly written Make Your Own Living Trust should prove an enormous help to families who want to spare their heirs the expense and trouble of probate." -- Jan Rosen, The New York Times

"You can set up your living trust yourself, but don't forget to transfer your home's title into your living trust... A good book to read first is Make Your Own Living Trust." -- Robert Bruss, The Washington Post

"A do-it-yourself manual with checklists, step-by-step procedures, worksheets and forms. It even offers ideas for getting professional legal help for special questions or circumstances." -- Los Angeles Times

"If you think you can prepare your own living trust, an excellent book is Make Your Own Living Trust." -- Chicago Tribune

"There are important differences between the trust-mill approach and that of such well-respected products as Nolo's Make Your Own Living Trust." -- The Wall Street Journal

Review
"In Nolo you can trust. ...Denis Clifford's clearly written Make Your Own Living Trust should prove an enormous help to families who want to spare their heirs the expense and trouble of probate."

Customer Reviews

Great buy!
This book was a god-send! I was skeptical at first because I have no legal backround and I thought that making my own living trust would be complicated at best, impossible at worst. But following a recommendation of a friend I decided to give do-it-yourself law a shot. Boy am I happy I did! I saved a fortune in legal fees and was able to get the job done just as well as if I'd had a lawyer coaching me every step of the way.
Make Your Own Living Trust was easy to use and very accessible. It even has all of the forms you'll need on an enclosed CD-ROM. Thanks to this book I was able to transfer assets such as stocks, real estate and jewelry to my trust, appoint someone to manage the property that I'm leaving my children, and keep control over it while I live. So don't be afraid to do it yourself, you'll save money and get your trust done the way you want it!

Attorney Approved
I am an attorney (shyreslaw.com) and I highly recommend this book for those who could use a simple trust and want to avoid probate. Even if you decide to hire an attorney, this book is invaluable because it offers great insight into trusts and avoiding the probate system.

Attorney Denis Clifford wrote this great do-it-yourself book which provides everyone a way to create their own simple living trust. A CD-ROM is also provided so you can easily input your information and print it out.

For a more complete estate plan, the book introduces the importance of pourover wills in case the trust fails to encompass all the property. You may want to peruse Mr. Clifford's Simple Will Book as well (another recommended buy).

Informative, but "Plan Your Estate" is a much better choice
The book explained a lot of things well, but almost nobody is going to make their own living trust with this book. Maybe single people with modest estates and no children.

The book has many warnings: "If you want to do blah, blah, blah, see a lawyer. Nolo's living trust program does not handle this situation."

I would give it 3 or 4 stars, except Nolo Press's "Plan Your Estate" by the same author is much more thorough. Better to get that.