Table of contents for Life after death : a legal and practical guide for surviving spouses / Marilyn W. McWilliams.

Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the Library of Congress catalog.

Note: Contents data are machine generated based on pre-publication provided by the publisher. Contents may have variations from the printed book or be incomplete or contain other coding.


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Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments	
Chapter 1	Planning the Funeral
	§ 1.1	Funerals
 § 1.2 	Autopsy
 § 1.3	Burial
 § 1.4	Cremation
 § 1.5 	Choosing a Mortuary/Funeral Director
 § 1.6	Funeral or Memorial Service
 § 1.7	Obituaries and Funeral Notices
	§ 1.8	Flowers and Memorial Gifts
 § 1.9	Obtaining Death Certificates
 § 1.10	Children and Funerals
	§ 1.11	Expressions of Gratitude
	§ 1.12	Timeline
Chapter 2	Early Days
 	§ 2.1	Accepting Help From Family and Friends
 § 2.2	Helping Your Children
 § 2.3	Beginning to Organize Financial and Legal Matters
 § 2.3.1		What Is Necessary
 § 2.3.2		What Can or Should Be Deferred
Chapter 3	Getting Emotional Support 
 § 3.1 	Grief
 § 3.2	Phases of Grief
 § 3.3	Caring for Yourself
 § 3.4	Sources of Support
 	§ 3.4.1	Family and Friends
		§ 3.4.2	Support Groups, Individual Counseling, and Medication
Chapter 4	Legal Assistance
 	§ 4.1	Do You Need an Attorney?
 § 4.1.1 	Why You May Need an Attorney
 § 4.1.2	Why You Might Not Need an Attorney
 	§ 4.2	How to Choose an Attorney
 § 4.2.1	Referrals: How They Can Help and Why They Might Not
 § 4.2.2	Legal Resource Directories
		§ 4.2.3	Advertising
 	§ 4.3	Cost of Legal Services
	§ 4.4	Interviewing an Attorney
 § 4.5	What Services Can an Attorney and Legal Staff Provide?
 § 4.6	Legal Matters with Minor Children
Chapter 5	Getting Financial Advice
 § 5.1	Why You May Need Help
 § 5.2	What Kind of Advisors Do You Want or Need?
 § 5.2.1	Banks and Trust Companies 
 § 5.2.2	Accountants and Bookkeepers: Taxes and Record Keeping
 § 5.2.3	Stockbrokers: What Is Their Role?
 § 5.2.4	Money Managers
 § 5.2.5	Financial Planners
 	§ 5.2.6	Life Insurance Professionals
	§ 5.3	Working with Your Team
Chapter 6	Estate Administration
 § 6.1	The Purpose of the Process
 § 6.2	First Steps
		§ 6.2.1	Be Sure You Are a Surviving Spouse
		§ 6.2.2	Determine Domicile
		§ 6.2.3	Collect Asset Information and Determine If Probate Is Necessary
		§ 6.2.4	Secure Assets
		§ 6.2.5	Determine If There Is a Will or Living Trust
		§ 6.2.6	Determine the Value of the Estate	 
 § 6.3	Opening Probate and Appointing the Personal Representative
 § 6.3.1	The Role of the Personal Representative
 § 6.3.2	Do You Want to Serve as Personal Representative?
		§ 6.3.3	What If Someone Else Is Named as Personal 
 Representative in the Will?	
		§ 6.3.4	Bond
		§ 6.3.5	Determine Heirs
 § 6.4	Exempt Property and Family Allowance
 § 6.5	Debts
 § 6.5.1	Determine What the Debts Are
 § 6.5.2	The Claims Process and ¿Surprise¿ Debt
		§ 6.5.3	Exempt Assets
 § 6.5.4	Notifying Creditors 
		§ 6.5.5	Tax Identification Number and Accounting System
		§ 6.5.6	Paying the Estate¿s Bills
 § 6.6	Estate Tax Returns and Taxes
 § 6.6.1	Which Estates Must File Estate Tax Returns
 § 6.6.2	Deadlines for Filing Returns and Qualified Disclaimers
 § 6.6.3	Payment of Estate Tax
 	§ 6.6.4	Estate Income Tax	
 § 6.7	What If Your Spouse Owned a Business?
 § 6.7.1	Continuing to Operate the Business
 § 6.7.2	Selling the Business
		§ 6.7.3	Closing the Business
 § 6.8	Litigation Involving Your Spouse or the Estate
 § 6.9	Estate Assets Worksheet (Classes of Assets and How They Are Titled)
	§ 6.10	Why the Estate Itself May Have No Assets When Your Spouse Left Significant Value
 § 6.11	Electing against Your Spouse¿s Will
	§ 6.12	Closing the Estate and Distributing Assets
Chapter 7	Filing Claims for Survivor Benefits
 § 7.1	Benefits Claim Process
 § 7.2	Life Insurance 
 § 7.3	Pension and Retirement Plans
 	§ 7.3.1	Defined Benefit Plans
		§ 7.3.2	Defined Contribution Plans
		§ 7.3.3	Individual Retirement Accounts
		§ 7.3.4	Spousal Rollover IRAs
		§ 7.3.5	Inherited IRAs
		§ 7.3.6	Roth IRAs
		§ 7.3.7	Complexity
 § 7.4	Veteran¿s Benefits
Chapter 8	Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Insurance
 § 8.1	Social Security 
 § 8.2	How to Apply for Social Security Benefits
	§ 8.3	When Do Social Security Benefits End?
	§ 8.4	Medicare and Medicaid
	§ 8.5	Long-Term Care
	§ 8.6	Qualifying for Medicaid
	§ 8.7	Medicare and Supplemental Health Insurance
 § 8.8	Private Individual Health Insurance
 § 8.9	Cover Colorado
 § 8.10	COBRA and Your Spouse¿s Employer Group Health Insurance
	§ 8.11	Disability Insurance: Who Needs It, How It Is Taxed
Chapter 9	Money, Budget, and Credit
 § 9.1	Immediate Sources of Cash
 § 9.2	Determining Your Income and Expenses From Now On
 § 9.3	Determining Your Expenses and Setting up a Realistic Budget
 § 9.4	Credit
 § 9.4.1	Notifying Creditors of Spouse¿s Death
 § 9.4.2	Review Your Credit Report
		§ 9.4.3	Apply for Credit in Your Own Name
Chapter 10	Vehicles
 § 10.1	How Many Vehicles Do You Need?
 § 10.2	Terminating a Lease for a Vehicle
 § 10.3	Maintaining Vehicle Insurance
 § 10.4	Vehicle Maintenance
	§ 10.5	Accidents
Chapter 11	Home Ownership and Change In Residence
 § 11.1	The Importance of Maintaining Homeowner¿s (or Renter¿s) Insurance
 § 11.2	Changing Ownership of the Home To Your Own Name
 § 11.3	Deciding to Keep or Sell Your Home
	§ 11.4	How To Sell a Home
		§ 11.4.1 Selecting an Agent; How Agents Are Paid
 		§ 11.4.2 Listing Agreements
 		§ 11.4.3 Timing the Sale
 		§ 11.4.4 Will You Have to Pay Tax on the Sale of the Home?
Chapter 12	Children and Stepchildren 
 § 12.1	Support for Grieving Children 
 	§ 12.1.1 Preschool Children
		§ 12.1.2 School-Age Children
		§ 12.1.3 Children Ages 13 Through 18
		§ 12.1.4 Stages of Grief in Children
 § 12.2	Single Parenting
 § 12.2.1	Reestablishing Routines and Family Structure
 § 12.2.2	Your Children¿s Needs and Your Own Needs
 § 12.2.3	Sources of Help and Support
 § 12.3	Stepchildren
 § 12.3.1	Maintaining a Relationship
 § 12.3.2	Avoiding Financial Conflicts
Chapter 13	Starting, Resuming, or Changing Careers
 § 13.1	Pros and Cons
 § 13.2	Volunteer Work: A Way to Add Meaning to Life 
 § 13.3	Resumes and Job Applications
 § 13.4	Starting a Business
Chapter 14	Investments 
 § 14.1	Investing to Meet Your Current and Future Needs
 § 14.2	Importance of an Investment Strategy and Diversification
 § 14.3	Investment Concepts
 	§ 14.3.1 Debt Versus Equity
		§ 14.3.2 Liquidity
		§ 14.3.3 Tax-Free Income
		§ 14.3.4 Tax-Deferred Income
		§ 14.3.5 Capital Gain
		§ 14.3.6 Risk Tolerance
	§ 14.4	Investment Options
		§ 14.4.1 Insured Savings Accounts
		§ 14.4.2 Money Market Funds
		§ 14.4.3 Insured Certificates of Deposit
		§ 14.4.4 Treasury Instruments
		§ 14.4.5 Stocks
		§ 14.4.6 Bonds
		§ 14.4.7 Mutual Funds
		§ 14.4.8 Real Estate
		§ 14.4.9 Annuities
	§ 14.5	Learning More
Chapter 15	Estate Planning
 § 15.1	What Is This Process, and Why Do I Have to Think About It Now?
 § 15.2	Wills
 § 15.3	Trusts
 § 15.4	Powers of Attorney
 § 15.5	Life Insurance
 § 15.6	Estate Tax Issues
 § 15.7	Health Care Proxies 
 § 15.8	Living Wills
 § 15.9	Preplanned Funerals
	§ 15.10 Joint Tenancy
	§ 15.11 Business Continuity Plans
	§ 15.12 Gift Deeds
Chapter 16	Re-Entering Life
 § 16.1	Returning To Work¿When Is ¿Too Soon¿?
 § 16.2	Resuming a Social Life
		§ 16.2.1 Your Spouse¿s Family and Friends
		§ 16.2.2 Maintaining Friendships
		§ 16.2.3 Taking Up New Activities and Meeting New Friends
 § 16.3	Those ¿First¿ Holidays and Anniversaries 
 § 16.4	Dating
 § 16.5	Remarriage
		§ 16.5.1 Finances, Estate Planning, and Remarriage¿Protecting Yourself and Your Children
 	§ 16.5.2 Premarital Agreements
 § 16.6 When it is Unsafe or Unhealthy to Live Alone 
Glossary
Index

Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:

Widows -- United States -- Life skills guides.
Widowers -- United States -- Life skills guides.
Widows -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States.
Widowers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States.