Wisconsin State Law Library

Space is still available in our two free CLE classes in April. We are offering these classes free as part of our National Library Week events. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about how WestlawNext and the Wisconsin State Law Library's website can help further your research goals.

Details and registration forms are available on our Classes page.

A tax and financial planning treatise with broad scope, Estate, Tax and Personal Financial Planning (West) is a 5 volume set to help plan and understand the tax implications of estates during life and after death. This set by Attorney Edward Koren focuses on wills, trusts, and asset transfers. These areas are further enhanced with detailed information about business, property, family law, investments, and more.

Most chapters include sample forms and practice guides to help researchers apply the principles covered. Detailed contents and indices can be downloaded and searched from the ThomsonReuters product page. The books are divided into four main categories with chapters set apart in color-coded tabs:

1. Compensation and assets planning 

The basics: practice essentials, general planning for business owners, ranchers, farmers, and the highly compensated, plus an overview of insurance, retirement plans, and other investments.

2. Planning for the family unit 

Estate management and gift giving to family and charitable organizations. Discusses tax considerations when a separation or divorce may occur and estate planning for unmarried individuals. Includes model tax return filing agreements.

3. Estate planning during life 

In-depth analysis of gift giving, plus preparing wills, trusts, and insurance instruments. Covers transfer taxes and testamentary transfers to surviving spouses. A chapter on Planning when death is imminent is a summary toolkit for those with little time to make long-term asset plans that also achieve optimal tax results.

4. Planning after death 

Detailed guidance for filing taxes on an estate and dealing with distributions from estates and trusts. Tax forms with sample data, when and where to file, asset valuation, disclaimers, and liquidating an estate are all included here. A final chapter on audits and appeals rounds this out.

Estate, Tax and Personal Financial Planning includes detailed tables of Federal and state laws and cases with cross-references to sections from the books. These, paired with indices to the text and forms provide quick access into the set. The fifth volume holds 5 years of tax and estate planning articles and includes its own index.

We have talked on this blog about legal ebooks and Wisconsin law ebooks - all of them free. Adding to the array of free ebooks, the Government Printing Office (GPO) is now offering free ebooks through its online catalog of government publications. Currently 130 ebooks created by a variety of agencies are available to download.

To download an ebook, click on the "Internet Access" link associated with the title. This link will take you to the agency website which hosts the ebook - typically in multiple formats.

Here are some to get you started:

• Baseball : the national pastime in the National Archives 
• Emergency war surgery (Borden Institute) 
• International law and the changing character of war
• Making sense of DNA backlogs, 2012 : myths vs. reality 
• In the loop : a reference guide to American English idioms

Our latest newsletter is now online. In our March Tech Tip in Brief article learn about the new Fastcase and HeinOnline integrated case law access. Many of our library cardholders can use the library's subscription to HeinOnline from their home or office along with Fastcase through the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Also in this issue: 

• What's New: Wisconsin Industrial Commission notices; Upcoming classes
• This Just In: New & updated library materials; Monthly list of new titles
• Start Here: Trial Practice
• WSLL Recommends: Thompson on Real Property