The book Davenport's Florida Wills And Estate Planning Legal Forms is part of a 50-State series being done using the Davenport Press name. The subject of books is Wills, Estate Planning, and Healthcare Planning law and forms, which concern how to do things now to control things if a person falls ill, dies, or is just absent. Things to control can include medical treatments, end-of-life stopping of treatment, gifting property and money, children, allowing efficient legal options, funeral, and sharing power with someone trusted to do things to help. Forms in books include forms like Wills, Gift List, Health Care Declaration, Living Will, Do-Not-Resuscitate, Financial Power of Attorney, Parent Power Of Attorney, Funeral Instructions, and several more forms. These involve basic things hundreds of millions of Americans want to do, and often these can be done by people without a lawyer if they have usual wishes and usual situations.
Importantly, the Davenport books and forms are specially written for each state, and this huge 50-state writing project is required as each state is different. Most current law books in libraries are generic and talk about average US law and show average forms, which is just bad and can lead to terrible results. Each state's law varies greatly, so for example a Florida resident needs to have Florida homestead, spouse elective share, family exemptions, and other laws explained. Most states also have standard forms which courts, hospitals and others expect, and not using the state form risks costly delay or total failure.
These books are written to be very useful for ordinary persons. To be useful books use brutally short language which is clear and quick and understandable, which admittedly may seem rushed or awkward (but most other law books are so long people get confused or just skip or skim). To be useful important laws or areas where people usually have questions are focused on, and especially focused on is just how to make and write gifts of property and money. To be useful foms are focused on, as quickly showing forms helps people understand options and quickly see how things can be done. And to be useful books use the 10 or so forms actually used in each of the 50 states (not just generic forms), plus there is helpful filled-out samples.
These books with forms are meant to be easy to use. Forms in the 8.5x11 inch paperback book are ready to be photocopied, downloaded at davenportpress.org, or gotten by a person buying a book copy at a price near cost to print of $6 at Amazon.com. Librarians are free to direct people straight to the webpage if out of book copies.
These books are a project of lawyers trying to help the public. This is done because most adults have not done Wills, Health, and Estate Planning documents despite benefits, and apparently most people feel going to a lawyer takes too much time, cost, work, or annoyance from dealing with disliked lawyers. Amazon-Createspace is used to publish books since as updates and new books are being done local attorneys and retired judges writing need flexibility and speed in production.
Overall, it is sincerely thought these 50 state books fill a gap and need most people now have. With support of librarians, book sellers, and reviewers it is hoped these books become a standard reference book for Wills, Estate Planning, and Healthcare Planning law and forms.
