WILLS

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WILLS TRUSTS OUTLINE

• D. Kelly Weisberg
• Professor of Law

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INTRODUCTIONChapter 1

• INTRODUCTION
• Personal
• Course Description
• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• Real Property
• Personal Property
• Chancery Third System of Courts
• TERMINOLOGY
• Consequences of Three-Tier Court System
• Other Points About Terminology
• UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (UPC)
• SOCIAL POLICY CONCERNS

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WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
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WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
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(No Transcript)
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WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
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WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
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INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2

• INTRODUCTION
• Intestacy Survey
• Terminology
• SHARE OF THE SURVIVING SPOUSE
• Statute of Distribution (Common Law)
• UPC
• California
• SHARE OF DOMESTIC PARTNERS
• SHARE OF ISSUE
• Statute of Distribution (Common Law)
• UPC
• California
• REPRESENTATION Maud v. Catherwood

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S. Clinton and Azalea Hastings
Robert Paul
Ella
Clara
Marshall
Flora
Charles F.D.
Lillie
Cha
Louise Maud
Azalea
Hoyt
Seranus
Ethel
Harry
Elizabeth
Charles
Jennie
JJ
Joseph
Jan
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INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)

• SHARE OF ASCENDANTS COLLATERAL RELATIVES
• Civil law
• Common law
• Parentelic
• Problems

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INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)

• SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF STATUS
• Posthumous Heirs
• Aliens
• Half-bloods
• Simultaneous Death
• Adoption

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INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)

• ADOPTION
• By, From, Through
• Stepparent Adoption
• Equitable Adoption
• Adult Adoption
• Estate of Ford
• NONMARITAL CHILDREN
• DISQUALIFICATION FOR MISCONDUCT

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INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)

• PRIOR TRANSACTIONS OF THE DECEDENT
• Advancements
• Definition
• Intention
• To Whom It Applies
• Hotchpot
• Effect on Share of Surviving Spouse
• Effect on Share of Donees Issue
• Valuation
• Releases and Assignments
• Definition
• Effect on Releasors/Assignors Heirs

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FAMILY PROTECTION AND RESTRICTIONS ON
TESTATIONChapter 3

• ALLOWANCES, HOMESTEADS AND EXEMPTIONS
• Family Support Allowance
• Homestead Exemption Laws
• Personal Property Exemptions
• ADDITIONAL COMMON LAW AND STATUTORY RIGHTS OF THE
  SURVIVING SPOUSE
• Dower
• Curtesy
• Statutory Forced Share
• Community Property

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FAMILY PROTECTION AND RESTRICTIONS ON
TESTATIONChapter 3 (contd)

• ATTEMPTS TO DEFEAT SURVIVING SPOUSES RIGHTS
• Election by the Surviving Spouse
• UPC Augmented Estate Concept
• Effect of Surviving Spouses Election on Estate
  Plan
• PROTECTING RIGHTS OF OMITTED FAMILY MEMBERS
  (PRETERMITTED HEIRS)
• Pretermitted Issue
• Definition
• Types of Statutes
• Extrinsic Evidence
• To Whom applies
• Limitation (Dispose of All of Estate)
• Pretermitted Spouse
• CHARITABLE RESTRICTIONS

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EXECUTION OF WILLSChapter 4

• FUNCTIONS OF FORMALITIES
• FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
• History
• Writing
• Signature
• Publication versus Acknowledgment
• Attestation
• Testamentary Intent
• Attestation Clause
• SAFEKEEPING OF WILLSl

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EXECUTION OF WILLSChapter 4 (contd)

• SIGNATURE
• Definition
• End Requirement
• Effect of Material After Signature
• PUBLICATION VERSUS ACKNOWLEDGMENT
• ATTESTATION
• Presence Requirement (Cunningham case)
• Interested versus Competent Witnesses
• Self-proved Wills
• TESTAMENTARY INTENT
• Defined
• Conditional Wills
• Letter Cases
• ATTESTATION CLAUSE

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EXECUTION OF WILLSChapter 4 (contd)

• HOLOGRAPHIC WILLS
• Requirements
• Problem of Non-Holographic Material
• Letterhead Will Forms
• Theories to Validate Such a Will
• Surplusage
• Intent to Incorporate
• UPC
• ORAL WILLS
• Nuncupative Wills
• Soldiers and Sailors Wills

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WILL DOCTRINESChapter 5

• INTEGRATION
• Requirements
• REVOCATION BY CODICIL
• Codicil definition
• Effect Will Speaks Again as of Date of Codicil
• Application Dependent on Testators Intention
• Problems
• INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
• Defined
• Requirements
• Distinguished from Republication
• Holographic versus Non-holographic Material
• Liberal trend

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WILL DOCTRINESChapter 5 (contd)

• FACTS OR ACTS OF INDEPENDENT SIGNIFICANCE
• Defined
• Requirements
• Distinguished from Incorporation by Reference
• Use
• Liberal trend (UPC)

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WILL DOCTRINESChapter 5 (contd)

• EXTRINSIC EVIDENCE
• Definition
• Rules
• Plain Meaning Rule
• Patent versus Latent Ambiguity Rule
• Oral Declarations
• State of Mind
• Miscellaneous Repugnancy, Read Will as a Whole,
  Avoid Intestacy
• Interpretation versus Construction

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WLIL DOCTRINESChapter 5 (contd)

• MISTAKE
• Mistake in Execution
• Mistake in Omission
• Mistake in Misdescription
• Property
• Persons
• Mistake in the Inducement

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WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6 (contd)

• REVOCATION BY PHYSICAL ACT
• REVOCATION BY SUBSEQUENT INSTRUMENT
• REVOCATION BY OPERATION OF LAW
• RE-ESTABLISHING REVOKED WILLS

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WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6

• REVOCATION BY PHYSICAL ACT
• A. Statutory Requirements Regarding
  Sufficiency
• B. Requirement of Concurrent Intent
• C. Partial Revocation
• D. Proxy Revocation
• E. Common Law Presumption of Revocation
• F. Lost/Destroyed Wills

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WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6 (contd)

• REVOCATION BY SUBSEQUENT INSTRUMENT
• Majority rule sufficient to simply revoke
• Can be by will or codicil if executed with
  formalities
• Unexpressed intent of revocation what do we do
  when we dont know what testator intended?

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WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6 (contd)

• REVOCATION BY OPERATION OF LAW
• Divorce
• Traditional View (does not revoke will)
• Modern View (modern statutes do revoke will)
• Subsequent marriage
• Modern View (will is revoked as to spouse)
• Exception wills in contemplation of marriage

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WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6 (contd)

• RE-ESTABLISHING REVOKED WILLS
• Revival
• Revocation of Revoking Codicil
• Automatic Revival
• Anti-Revival
• Dependent Relevant Revocation (DRR)
• Mistake Doctrine
• Effect validates will, disregards revocation
• Limitation some courts apply DRR only if theres
  new, ineffective disposition or if revocation of
  Will 2 was by physical act
• Admissibility of extrinsic evidence
• Criticism mechanical application

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WILL CONTRACTS(Chapter 7)

• TYPES OF WILL CONTRACTS
• EXISTENCE OF A CONTRACT
• DEFENSES
• REVOCABILITY
• REMEDIES FOR BREACH GENERALLY
• REMEDIES FOR WRONGFUL REVOCATION
• EFFECT OF WILL CONTRACT ON SHARE OF SURVIVING
  SPOUSE

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WILL SUBSTITUTESChapter 8

• LIFE INSURANCE
• JOINT TENANCY AND JOINT OWNERSHIP
• CONTRACT RIGHTS
• MULTIPLE PARTY ACCOUNTS
• GIFTS GIFTS CAUSA MORTIS
• DEEDS

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INTRODUCTION TO TRUSTS

• INTRODUCTION
• History
• Definition
• Parties
• Purposes
• CLASSIFICATION
• Inter vivos v. Testamentary
• Written v. Oral
• Express v. Operation of law
• Active v. Passive
• Trust v. Other Relationship
• INTENTION

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Chapter 9 Elements of a Trust

• Intention
• Trustee
• Beneficiary
• Specific trust property
• Valid trust purpose

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Chapter 12CREATION OF TRUSTS

• Trusts Created by Will Secret Semi-Secret
  trusts
• Inter vivos trusts
• Methods of trust creation
• Formalities writing requirement
• Statute of Frauds
• Parol Evidence Rule
• Oral trusts for the settlor
• Oral trusts for third parties

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Chapter 12 Creation of trusts

• Introduction
• Advantages
• Common Problems (Osborn, Roberts)
• Types of Revocable Trusts
• Savings Bank Trusts
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Pour-over Trusts
• Policies Restricting Testation Surviving
  Spouses Rights and Creditors Rights

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Chapter 13Nature of Beneficiarys Interests

• Enforceability of Beneficiarys Interest
• Transferability of Beneficiarys Interest
• Amenability of Beneficiarys Interest to Creditors

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Chapter 14 Modification Termination of Trusts

• Settlors Power to Modify or Terminate
• Trustees Power to Modify or Terminate
• Beneficiarys Power to Modify or Terminate
• Judicial Power to Modify or Terminate

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Chapter 15Charitable Trusts

• Introduction
• History
• Nature of Charitable Trusts
• Charitable Purposes
• Modification of Charitable Trusts
• Supervision and Enforcement of Charitable Trusts

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Chapter 16Fiduciary Administration

• Function of Administration
• Probate and Contest of Wills
• Opening Administration
• Appointing a Personal Representative
• Tasks of the Personal Representative
• Estate Trust Proceedings
• Payment of Creditors Claims

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Chapter 16 (contd)FIDUCIARY ADMINISTRATION

• Tasks of the Personal Representative
• Inventory and Collect the Decedents Assets
• Management of the Assets During Administration
• Receive and Pay Creditors Claims
• Distribute the Remaining Assets to Heirs or
  Beneficiaries

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Chapter 17The Fiduciary Office

• Qualification, Selection, Appointment Removal
  of Fiduciaries
• Rights to Compensation Indemnification
• General Fiduciary Standard
• Fiduciary Duties
• Duty of Loyalty
• Duty to Provide Information Render Accounts
• Duty to Identify Segregate
• Duty to Delegate

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Chapter 11 Construction Problems in Estate
Trust Proceedings

• Classification
• Distributive Problems
• Ademption
• Satisfaction
• Abatement
• Miscellaneous
• Class Gifts
• Survival Requirements Lapse