WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATE PLANNING BASICS; CONCEPTS YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
BY WILLIAM R. CHRISTIAN, ESQ.
© copywrite 2000 WRC
wrc@rodipollock.com

A. WHAT IS THIS SITE AND HOW DO I USE IT

     1. Why was this site created
     2. Do I need Estate Planning
     3. What Does This Site Do
     4. How Can This Site Help
     5. Are There Limits To What I Can Accomplish Here?
     6. Do I Have To Understand Everything?
     7. Just What Do I Need To Know?
     8. What Do I Do When I Know Everything?
     9. How Do I Contact You?
     10. Can I Ask You Questions On Line?

B. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW TO PLAN FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY?

     1. How Much do I Need to Know?
     2. What Materials Should I review?
          a. If You Are Single With No Children:
          b. If You Are Single With Children:
          c. If You Are Married Without Children:
          d. If You Are Married With Children:
     3. How Do I Tell Where I Fit? 

C. USING A WILL

D. THE USE OF A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST

     1. What is a "Trust?"
     2. What is a "Living Trust", "Revocable Trust" or "Family Trust?"
     3. How a Revocable Living Trust Avoids Probate.

E. SHOULD I USE A WILL OR A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST? 

F. TO WHOM, AND HOW, SHOULD I LEAVE MY PROPERTY 

     1. Who Do I Leave My Property To?
     2. Can I Leave The Property In Some Way Other Than Just An Outright Gift?
     3. What If I Don’t Want to Leave Property to Certain People

G. HOW DO I PROVIDE FOR CHILDREN OR OTHERS WITH PROBLEMS WITH DEALING WITH  MONEY?
     1. Giving Property to Children
          a. UTMA Gifts
          b. Trusts
          c. Selecting a Trustee
     2. Managing Property for Others who have Difficulty in Dealing with Funds

H.WHO WILL RAISE MY CHILDREN?

I. FEDERAL ESTATE TAX 

J. POWERS OF ATTORNEY; HEALTH POWERS

     1. Power of Attorney
     2. Advanced Healthcare Directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.

K. MORE SOPHISTICATED PLANNING 

     1. Gift Planning.
          a. Annual Exclusion Gifts
          b. Unified Credit Gifts
          c. Why Make Gifts Now?
     2. Family Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Companies.
     3. Personal Residence Trust
     4. Irrevocable Life Insurance
     5. Charitable Gifts.
     6. Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
     7. Planning with Intentionally Defective Irrevocable Trusts
     8. Other Structures.

M. WHAT DO I DO NOW?
     1. Single-No Children
     2. Single With Children
     3. Married Without Children
     4. Married With Children

I. DO I NEED ESTATE PLANNING (California State Bar)
II. ESTATE PLANNING QUESTIONNAIRE
III. DO I NEED A WILL (California State Bar)
IV. DO I NEED A LIVING TRUST (California State Bar)
V. CALIFORNIA STATUTORY FORM DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
VI. ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
VII. CALIFORNIA STATUTORY WILL FORM