Beyond the Grave revised edition: The Right Way and the Wrong Way of Leaving Money To Your Children (and Others)

I am a professional money manager and the subject of inheritance planning is something I deal with every day. But "Beyond the Grave" opened my eyes to some potential problems and solutions that I hadn't thought of. And after some soul-searching, the book prompted me to change the way I will leave my own estate to my family.

I love the way the authors filled their book not with legal jargon but with stories of their clients. Some did things the right way, others made mistakes. But the lawyers learned from every case, and thanks to this book, I learned too.

Any parent who's disappointed at a son or daughter could take delight in the story called "Our Rotten Children" in which a couple accomplished their own goals - and some of their children's goals - in a most unexpected way. The two married sons and a daughter seemed to be waiting around for their parents to die so they could collect sizeable inheritances from the parents' $30 million real estate empire.

The parents devised a clever inheritance plan to force their chronically unemployed offspring to "get a life." Without spoiling the story I can relate that one result showed up almost immediately: the two daughters-in-law filed for divorce, figuring that - if there was no seven- or eight-figure inheritance in their future - they had little reason to stick with their ne'er-do-well husbands.

The authors repeatedly demonstrate the merits of what I think could be called "smart generosity" to children and grandchildren. In anecdote after anecdote, they show the benefits of treating siblings equally and of thinking ahead of time about how to preserve not only assets but family relationships and harmony as well.

If you have wealth to leave, I can almost guarantee you'll find an interesting idea or two in this book that you haven't thought about. If your parents haven't talked to you about their own plan, you might consider giving them a copy of "Beyond the Grave."


Stop *thinking* you're doing it right, KNOW you are: buy it   August 8, 2002
Shawn Kresal (San Francisco, CA)
31 out of 31 found this review helpful

The advice dispensed in this book is some of the most valuable I have ever read. I thought I knew what I was doing and told myself I would use this book to "double check" myself. What I learned two chapters in showed that I was making classic mistakes that would pit others against each other and dissolve relationships. Although the book is meticulous in its detail only some of the situations would apply to any one person, but still 5 stars because the info is of such a high caliber. Highest recommendation.


Loved It!   January 7, 2002
marie hansen (Los Angeles, CA)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

I recently bought the book "Beyond the Grave" just after my second parent passed away and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to read about such a morbid subject. I only wish my parents would have taken the advice from the Condons and had left their inheritance equally to me and my 5 siblings so that no feelings would have been hurt when distributing items listed in the family trust. I highly recommend parents of all ages to read this book and use it as a guideline for their living trust.


A must read before putting your estate plan to work   April 8, 2004
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

I first read Beyond the Grave some years ago. I thought it was incitefull and touched on the human aspect of transferring wealth that was missing in other books that I read on this subject. I read it again recently. This time my personal situation had changed and I had a specific need for the kind of information. I found that it was written in a form that seemed to me as "personal advice".I was pleased that I could zero in on particular aspects of the book because of how wonderfully organized it was. I was further impressed by the detail of all aspects of a given question and how easily I could apply it to my personal situation. I almost felt that I was having a dialog with the Condons.
The book is full of important advice for making difficult decisions that can effect the lives of your loving beneficiaries after you are gone. Information and ideas that I could not have thought of without the assistance of this book. I holdheartedly recommend this book.


GET THIS BOOK...NOW!   December 16, 2001
Wendy Laufer (Los Angeles)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

I borrowed this book from a friend and I did not want to give it back to her. Do not put your will together until you first read this book. This should be required reading before wills are made. The authors even put their phone number in the back and say that it's okay to call them...for free. I called the number and talked to Jeff Condon...a real nice guy. I told him that I thought his book was terrific and asked him questions. He was really helpful, even though I thought I took too much of his time. GET THIS BOOK!