I got this book because I have been appointed the executor for my father, and I needed to know what was expected of me and what he and I needed to talk about. So this book has been a great help in getting our conversation started. However, this should not be the only source of information. The main thing I learned from this book was that being an executor is more complicated than I thought, and much of the work needs to be done BEFORE the person dies! There are so many conversations about money, belongings, people, wishes and desires that need to be discussed, and this does not even begin to include all the medical questions one might need to cover!!! So, if you are being asked to be an executor prior to the death of a person, GREAT, because you can now use this book - and others - to sit down and make some plans.

PA state inhertince tax book tells you everything in this book for free and it is available for download from the state. I wish I had not bought the book.

Not only is this a first rate guide for someone who wants to do his best for the beneficiaries of a will or trust, but it also an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to identify and repair the weak points of his own will or trust. There is also a short, but detailed summary of how to prepare a proper Letter of Instructions for the executor of your own estate.

[Book review I wrote for an earlier edition of this book.]

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. 5 stars!