One of the most common legal tasks performed by Americans is estate planning, and info on estates is widely sought after. Drafting of wills, forming trusts or determining inheritance is done by the majority of households at some point. Fortunately, information resources on estate planning are easily found on the Internet.

Estate planning research can be done using a variety of free websites. In addition, estate planning reference books and software can be found and ordered online. Finally, for more complicated estate planning, directories of attorneys specializing in estate planning can be utilized.

You should understand that:

1). Since estate planning is one of the most frequently performed do-it-yourself legal undertakings performed by Americans, there is a great amount of estate planning information and estate reference materials available for access through the Internet.

2). Websites providing info on estate planning tend to be of higher quality and more useful than some other sites covering areas of the law.

3). It's good to educate yourself using information on estate planning on the Internet even if you plan on hiring an attorney for your estate planning needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

First, educate yourself on estate planning issues with info on estates

The wide variety of information about estate planning makes it easy to do research through your computer.

I recommend: The American Bar Association has part of its site devoted to estate planning information, including info about wills, info on trusts, and FAQ's on a number of other estate planning issues. Another great site is Nolo.com, which offers an estate planning resource center, which tells you how you can do estate planning yourself or find an attorney who can help you with it.

Decide if you want to do your estate planning yourself, utilizing info about estate planning

If you decide you don't need an attorney, here are some places to go to find resources and estate reference material.

I recommend: EstatePlanningLinks is just what the name implies: a large number of links to various websites regarding estate planning, including recommended sites and software providers. If you're interested in books on estate planning, Cafelaw has a good listing of estate planning titles, including wills, reference materials and reference materials for trusts

Search for a lawyer for info about estate planning

If doing estate planning yourself is too daunting, its easy to find a good lawyer to do it for you.

I recommend: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys has a complete listing of attorney members for the entire country that is easily accessible. Another group that does the same thing is the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. Both sites allow you to search by state, making it easy to find an attorney in your area.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you have a more complicated estate planning issue, use a lawyer who specializes in info on estates.
• •  Rely on software and books from sites specializing in legal resources.
• •  Explore forums and blogs that can be linked to from some of the sites above for more detailed information on current estate planning issues.