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| The Executor's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Settling an Estate for Personal Representatives, Administrators, and Beneficiaries | 
 enlarge | Authors: Theodore E. Hughes, David Klein
Publisher: Checkmark Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $14.00
You Save: $3.95 (22%)
Buy New/Used from $14.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 508882
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 244
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 0816044279
Dewey Decimal Number: 346.73052
EAN: 9780816044276
ASIN: 0816044279
Publication Date: June 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Executor's Handbook is a step-by-step guide for estate executors and personal representatives. Covering everything from probate to wills to liquid assets, it helps readers determine the best course of action as an executor. Updates to this edition include:
New information on wills
New types of bank accounts, such as pay-on death accounts
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
The increasingly common use of trusts
All state and federal laws, in texts and tables.
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| Customer Reviews:
Excellent overview of the role of an executor! Highly recommended. August 31, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
When my family gathered a few months ago for my father's 75th birthday party, during one of several conversations we had, he out of the blue advised me that he'd named me to be Executor of his estate -- possibly because I'm first-born, but more likely because I'm the only sibling who is speaking to everyone else. I agree that I'm probably the best choice -- but his announcement scared the heck out of me. I had no idea what an Executor did.
I'm glad I ordered this book! It made the role of an Executor very easy to understand, and the few dollars I paid for this book will save me hundreds or thousands of extra dollars that I'd be paying an attoney (out of my father's estate) to do, when now I know how to do some things and how to proceed.
As a social worker -- not a lawyer! -- the book's intelligent explanations helped educate me, while not "talking down" to me in simplistic terms. This is no "Probate for Dummies" type of book. It's a valuable, intelligent, well-organized and resourceful book, and I'm hanging on to it to help guide me through the time when I get that late-night phone call I dread so much...
 What can I expect to deal with October 20, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book will give you insights into what to expect when "the event" occurs. It should be read before you except the responsibility. An executor is not just another job.
Good overall knowledge February 9, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book gives great overview but it is not a do-it-yourself book. You'll still need legal advice. Highly recommend as a read so you can be educated before speaking with a lawyer.
Short, sweet, and to the point May 2, 2006
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
After reading this book you can probably be an executor for an estate without hiring an attorney (assuming no legal documents have to be prepared or filed in court). I found this book in the reference section of the Westfield Pubic Library (NJ) along with its companion book: A Family Guide to Wills, Funerals & Probate (ISBN: 081604550X). This book was written for an executor to read, and the companion book concerned much of the same material but for the decedent to read before he or she dies.
I thought this book was great, and that it will help an executor gain a grasp of his or her responsibilities when administering and closing a decedent's estate. It is written without legal jargon. Have you ever had to administer an estate and gone to an attorney for help? Did you expect the attorney to tell you about your duties and delegate as much of the work to you as possible? And did you find the attorney did a lot of work you think you could and should have done? Well, if so, then this book probably could have helped you talk to the attorney and have more worked delegated to you.
This book is as comprehensive as it needs to be to educate an executor about his or her duties. When those duties can be complicated, the authors explain the basics so an attorney can be consulted to provide legal services. Keep in mind that many estates can be settled without any legal help being needed. Thus, I recommend an executor read this book before ever seeking an attorney for help, guidance, or services.
The edition of the book I read was hardbound and very pretty. There was an index of terms in the back of the book. However, I would have liked the book better if there had been a glossary of terms back there, too. Don't worry that the book doesn't have your state in its title. It is written so it is applicable to executors in all 50 states.
I found the book to be deficient in covering (failed to cover) the various tax forms (federal estate & income; state estate & income) that must be filed. They mention them, but I would have liked the book better if more had been written about them. Filing the tax returns is often the most complicated aspect of doing executor work. Most of the other things just take time.
A Must-Have Book For The Newly Appointed Executor June 10, 2004
36 out of 39 found this review helpful
I purchased this book months ago to prepare myself for the future when I will have to handle my mother's affairs. To my absolute surprise, I have recently been appointed as administrator of my long lost cousin's estate. Yeap, he died intestate, without a will. Luckily I was just finishing this book so I had a clue what to do next.The book has already proven to be a valuable resource of information. As I go through the probate process, I am referring to it to help me along. I put Post-It note flags on the tops of certain chapters to speed up the information retrieval. The Table of Contents is well organized. The only thing I would suggest to the authors is to put a bit more "how to" instructions into the book. For instance, I need to do a Postal change of address. The topic is well covered in the chapter "The Deceased's Mail" but it does not tell you how to locate the Post Office where he once lived. A website address would be most helpful.
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