This bulletin was written to assist farm families in their estate planning. Estate planning to many people consists of deciding how property should be distributed at death, but it also includes plans and techniques to build the estate during life. It involves decisions such as the types of property to own, the form of ownership, and, for farm families, the organization and operation of the farm. This bulletin discusses the basic fundamentals of estate planning to help farm families assess their estate goals and objectives and consider the economic, legal, and tax implications of various plans. The bulletin is by no means an exhaustive source on estate planning and it is not intended to substitute for legal or tax advice which should be obtained from your lawyer or accountant. More detailed publications are available elsewhere and trained professionals should be consulted as an estate plan is formulated.