LOVING TRUST: The Right Way to Provide for Yourself and Guarantee the Future of Your Loved Ones

by Robert A. & Renno L. Peterson Esperti ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1988

A persuasively documented case for a flexible alternative to wills and probate from a couple of lawyers who've apparently made their fortune in estate planning. As the title suggests, Esperti and Peterson take an unabashedly saccharine approach to their subject: revocable living (a.k.a. loving) trusts. When thoughtfully framed, legal instruments of this kind (used to transfer property from one person to another individual or an institution for the benefit of third parties) can afford significant advantages. These latter range from complete privacy through control (which survives a maker's death or disability) of virtually all contingencies. By contrast, the authors point out, there are pitfalls aplenty in publicly recorded wills and intestacy. Nor, they argue, are joint tenancies, powers of attorney, insurance coverage, ""bare-bones"" trusts, and allied arrangements apt to prove much better bargains for those with definite ideas on how their holdings should be ultimately distributed. So-called loving trusts are the authors' choice for the married, single, divorced, and remarried with or without dependents. Using easy-to-follow checklists, they provide step-by-step counsel on how such vehicles might be structured to fit a wealth of circumstances, which extend to those of families whose teen-agers have drug problems. Esperti and Peterson also offer up-to-date rundowns on tax considerations and the mechanics of putting assets (including the prospective of an employer's pension plan) into a trust. Depending on the complexity of client needs, the cost of a fail-safe trust that can be amended at will runs around $1,500, according to the authors, who upon request will refer readers to lawyers who, so to speak, practice What they preach. A sound if syrupy brief with down-to-earth appeal for responsible individuals of even average means.

Pub Date: April 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1988

Categories: NONFICTION