Betsy Simmons Hannibal

Attorney

Betsy Simmons Hannibal is a Nolo Senior Legal Editor specializing in Estate Planning. Her work centers around managing the editorial contributions to Quicken WillMaker & Trust

Estate planning books. Betsy also edits many of Nolo's best-selling estate planning books, including Make Your Own Living Trust, Plan Your Estate, Estate Planning Basics, How to Probate an Estate in California: A Step-by-Step Guide, Quick & Legal Will Book, and Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To.

Press contributions. Betsy regularly speaks with journalists who want to know more about estate planning and probate. Here is some of the content to which she has contributed:  End-of-Life-Planning Is a "Lifetime Gift" to Your Loved Ones (NPR's Life Kit), What Is Probate and Can You Avoid It? (HowStuffWorks), Probate Workarounds Can Save Your Heirs Time and Money (NerdWallet, syndicated by the AP), and A Brief Guide to Estate Planning, (Wirecutter, The New York Times).

Early career. Before joining Nolo, Betsy trained at two private law firms, as well as the San Francisco Superior Court and the Federal District Court of Northern California. She is a graduate of the Honors Lawyering Program at Golden Gate University School of Law, where she served as the research editor of the law review.

While she currently lives too far from her home state of California, she is enjoying the temperature variation provided by the mid-Atlantic seasons.


Articles By Betsy Simmons Hannibal

Online Wills & Do-It-Yourself Will Making Software
Everybody needs a will—but most people don't need to pay a lawyer to draft it. Learn whether online wills and DIY software can work for you.
Online Living Trust: Creating Your Own Living Trust
Living trusts are becoming more and more common, specifically as a way to avoid having your home and other valuable assets held up in probate. Learn about the options you have to create one with little fuss.
Estate Tax vs Inheritance Tax: What's the Difference?
Depending on the size of your estate, where you live, and how much you leave to loved ones, your estate and beneficiaries may end up paying inheritance or estate taxes.
How a "Pour-Over" Will Works
If the deceased person left a living trust as well as a will, you're likely to be dealing with a "pour-over" will.
Online Estate Planning Apps & Do-It-Yourself Software
Understand what your estate plan should include, decide what products suit your needs, or when you might be better served by using an estate planning attorney.