Let the Records Show: A Practical Guide to Power of Attorney and Estate Record Keeping

Douglas Alan Alderson · Linda A. Alderson

Oct 2011 · iUniverse

About this ebook

Acting as a power of attorney or as an estate trustee carries a great deal of financial and legal responsibility. But in Let the Records Show, authors Linda A. Alderson and Douglas Alan Alderson have distilled the information and have provided a step-by-step guide to keeping financial and property affairs in order. Let the Records Show offers a ten-step guide for effectively handling record-keeping obligations, and it demystifies and simplifies the terminology and related work processes associated with creating a complete and proper information trail to satisfy legal interests. It also provides: Answers to questions to consider before acting as an attorney An overview of accounting and legal terms presented in plain English Tips on the fundamentals of being an attorney or estate trustee Guidance on inventory preparation Comparison between the roles of attorney and estate trustee A review of common problems and how to fix them Information on estate litigation basics Charts, templates, and checklists to help you stay organized Filled with practical guidance on how to maintain financial records to meet the legal requirements, Let the Records Show helps to simplify the roles of power of attorney and estate trustee.

Ratings and reviews

I am a recently appointed executor trying to clean up after a prior power of attorney who, to put it mildly, did not do due diligence and was "winging it". Even though the book is written from the Canadian point of view, the information about record keeping is applicable to the United States. The chapter on things that go wrong was especially good. This book should be required reading for anyone contemplating taking on the role of executor or power of attorney, or already doing it and maybe not quite doing it right.

About the author

LINDA A. ALDERSON has been practicing as a Chartered Accountant for 30 years in a variety of roles and on four continents. During that time she has had many opportunities to assist people in understanding the record keeping responsibilities that come with looking after someone else’s money either because they are an Attorney under a Power of Attorney or an Executor under a Will. Living in Oak Ridges, Ontario, the author takes an active role in advocating for the rights and benefits of seniors as well as enjoying local theatre, the harmonies of Barbershop and reading good old-fashioned “who done it” mysteries.

DOUGLAS A. ALDERSON is a lawyer called to the Ontario bar in 1992. Educated at the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Yale Law School, he combines an academic love of Trusts and Estates with a practical focus on assisting clients with estate planning and management issues leading to, and ensuring client-centred, solutions. Living in Lake Portia, near Aurora, Ontario, he enjoys life with his Golden Retriever and listening to music of J.S. Bach, Palestrina and WOOF-FM.

LINDA A. ALDERSON has been practicing as a Chartered Accountant for 30 years in a variety of roles and on four continents. During that time she has had many opportunities to assist people in understanding the record keeping responsibilities that come with looking after someone else’s money either because they are an Attorney under a Power of Attorney or an Executor under a Will. Living in Oak Ridges, Ontario, the author takes an active role in advocating for the rights and benefits of seniors as well as enjoying local theatre, the harmonies of Barbershop and reading good old-fashioned “who done it” mysteries.

DOUGLAS A. ALDERSON is a lawyer called to the Ontario bar in 1992. Educated at the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Yale Law School, he combines an academic love of Trusts and Estates with a practical focus on assisting clients with estate planning and management issues leading to, and ensuring client-centred, solutions. Living in Lake Portia, near Aurora, Ontario, he enjoys life with his Golden Retriever and listening to music of J.S. Bach, Palestrina and WOOF-FM.