Betsy Simmons Hannibal

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 Living Trust, 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

Life Insurance Trusts
Keep the proceeds of your life insurance policy out of your taxable estate.
Educational Trusts
If you want to set aside money to pay for a loved one’s education, you could set up an educational trust.    
Using a Will Template
Do you want to make your will using a will template? If so, you’re not alone.
What Will Happen to My LinkedIn Account After I Die?
What happens to your LinkedIn account when you die depends on a few things...
What Is Estate Planning?
Use your estate plan to leave important instructions about your property, children, and health care.
Alaska's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program
The state of Alaska might or might not seek reimbursement for the Medicaid you received, depending on whether your estate goes through probate and how much it's worth.
Marriage & Property Ownership: Who Owns What?
Who owns marital property and to whom can they leave it?
How Special Needs Trust Funds Can Be Used
The person serving as trustee of the special needs trust can usually pay for anything for the person with special needs, as long as the purchase is not against public policy or illegal and does n
Restrictions on Out-of-State Guardians for Minors
When naming guardians for your children in your will, it's usually best to name a guardian who lives relatively close to your child.
Mental Health Care Decisions and Psychiatric Advance Directives
Most states define health care to include mental health, and most health care directives cover issues of mental health.
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