you've been warned

If either or both of your parents are sill alive, here's a handy tip: ask them if they've had a living trust drawn up by an honest, reputable, expert attorney in the field of trust and estate law.

If their answer is no, or is even the least bit vague, be afraid. Be very afraid.

I won't go into any gory details here, for many reasons. Suffice it to say that this is an issue with far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences.

It may not affect you today, or even a few years from now. But sooner or later, the chickens will come home to roost. And you know what chickens like to do.

Get some good books on living trust preparation. Study them. Visit some reputable legal advice Web sites and online forums. Learn what questions to ask and why you should ask them.

Then begin your search for that sometimes rare commodity, the honest attorney. (Sorry, couldn't resist -- let the flames begin.)

Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.

-- Anonymous

Be sure the professional you choose is an expert in both living trust preparation in particular, and estate law in general. Don't mess around with this. Don't' be lazy. Do it right the first time, or you'll live to regret it.

Don't say you haven't been warned.