Make your own living trust

1. Overview of living trusts -- Living trust explained -- Probate and why you want to avoid it -- Avoiding probate -- Living trusts and estate taxes -- Other advantages of a living trust -- Possible drawbacks of a living trust -- 2. Human realities and living trusts -- Leaving unequal amounts of property to children -- Second or subsequent marriages -- Single people -- Disinheriting a child -- Unmarried couples -- Same-sex couples -- Communicating your decisions to family and friends -- 3. Common questions about living trusts -- Does everyone need a living trust? -- If i prepare a living trust, do I need a will? -- How can I leave trust property to children and young adults? -- Will my living trust reduce estate taxes? -- Will I have to pay gift taxes? -- Will a living trust shield my property from creditors? -- Do I need a "catastrophic illness clause" in my trust? -- How does where I live affect my living trust? -- Can I place real estate in a living trust? -- Can I sell or give away trust property while I'm alive? -- Is a bank account held in trust insured by the FDIC? -- Will property in my living trust get a "stepped-up" tax basis when I die? -- Who must know about my living trust? -- What about free living trust seminars? -- Could someone challenge my living trust? -- 4. What type of trust do you need? -- If you are single -- If you are part of a couple -- Individual trusts for members of a couple -- Basic shared living trusts -- AB disclaimer trusts -- 5. The tax-saving AB trust -- The purpose of an AB trust -- HOw an AB disclaimer trust works -- Is Nolo's AB disclaimer trust right for you? -- Creating a Nolo AB disclaimer trust -- 6. Choosing what property to put in your living trust -- Listing the property to be put in your trust -- Property you should not put in your living trust -- Property you can put in your living trust -- Marital property laws -- Completing the property worksheet -- 7. Trustees -- The initial trustee -- The trustee after one spouse's death or incapacity -- The successor trustee -- 8. Choosing your beneficiaries -- Kinds of trust beneficiaries -- Naming your primary beneficiaries -- Simultaneous death clauses -- Shared gifts -- some common concerns about beneficiaries -- Naming alternate beneficiaries -- Residuary beneficiaries -- Disinheritance -- Putting conditions on beneficiaries -- Property that is no longer in your trust at your death -- Beneficiary worksheets -- 9. Property left to minor children or young adults -- Property management options -- Which method is better for you : child's trust or custodianship? -- Tax-saving educational investment plans -- Child's trusts -- Custodianships --

10. Preparing your living trust document

Choosing the right trust form

Making changes to a trust form

Step-by-step instructions

Prepare your final trust document

Consider having your work checked by a lawyer

Sign your living trust in front of a notary

11. Transferring property to your trust

Paperwork

Technical ownership

Certifications of trust

Real estate

Bank accounts and safe deposit boxes

Securities

Vehicles, boats, and planes

Business interests

Limited partnerships

Copyrights

Patents

Royalties

12. Copying, storing, and registering your trust document

Making copies

Storing the trust document

Registering the trust

13. Living with your living trust

Adding property to your living trust

Selling or giving away trust property

When to amend your living trust document

Who can amend a living trust document

How to amend your trust document

Revoking your living trust

14. After a grantor dies

Who serves as trustee after the grantor's death

The trustee's duties

Transferring property to beneficiaries

Preparing and filing tax returns

Administering a child's trust

Administering a custodianship

15. A living trust as part of your estate plan

Using a backup will

Other probate-avoidance methods

Federal gift and estate taxes

State inheritance and estate taxes

Planning for incapacity

Long-term trusts to control property

16. Wills

Why prepare a backup will?

What you can do in a backup will

Pour-over wills

Avoiding conflicts between your will and your living trust

Filling in the will form

Signing and witnessing your will

17. If you need expert help

Hiring a lawyer to review your living trust

Working with an expert

Lawyer fees

Doing your own legal research

Glossary

Appendix A. Using the eforms

Editing RTFs

List of eForms

Appendix B. Forms.