SOCIAL: estate planning/will question

[Brian Rice]

I've done will-writing both with a lawyer (the first time) and using  
the Nolo Press make-your-own-will book (the second time).  Knowing  
what I know now, I'd recommend that everybody* start with a Nolo will,  
and that people with more complex needs (especially people who want to  
set up trusts for the care of children) then continue on to a lawyer  
for Version 2.0.

The process of working through the Nolo will forced me to answer a lot  
of questions that would have saved time with the lawyer.  And, in  
California and lots of other places, you don't have to have a lawyer  
or file anything with a court in order to have a valid will.  So that  
means that it's easy to have Version 1.0 in force while you take your  
time with Version 2.0.

The version of the Nolo will book I used seems to now have been  
replaced by a will-maker software product jointly produced by Nolo and  
Quicken:

http://www.amazon.com/Quicken-Willmaker-Plus-2008-Essentials/dp/1413307167/

* The exception to this advice: Nolo books don't apply in Louisiana.   
So anybody reading this in Louisiana needs a good Louisiana lawyer,  
and also a stack of beignets (yum).

Brian


On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:51 AM, Amy Tanner wrote:

>
> Hi Folks
>
> Can anyone recommend a lawyer who does estate planning/wills/living  
> trust/that kind of thing that they have used?  Peat and I are  
> looking for someone who is technically competent but also who has a  
> good interpersonal side.
>
> Thanks,  amy
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