Title: WILLS
1WILLS TRUSTS OUTLINE
- D. Kelly Weisberg
- Professor of Law
2INTRODUCTIONChapter 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
3WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
4WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
5(No Transcript)
6WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
7WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
8INTESTATE 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
9S. 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
10INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)
- SHARE OF ASCENDANTS COLLATERAL RELATIVES
- Civil law
- Common law
- Parentelic
- Problems
11INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)
- SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF STATUS
- Posthumous Heirs
- Aliens
- Half-bloods
- Simultaneous Death
- Adoption
12INTESTATE SUCCESSIONChapter 2 (contd)
- ADOPTION
- By, From, Through
- Stepparent Adoption
- Equitable Adoption
- Adult Adoption
- Estate of Ford
- NONMARITAL CHILDREN
- DISQUALIFICATION FOR MISCONDUCT
13INTESTATE 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
14FAMILY 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
15FAMILY 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
16EXECUTION OF WILLSChapter 4
- FUNCTIONS OF FORMALITIES
- FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
- History
- Writing
- Signature
- Publication versus Acknowledgment
- Attestation
- Testamentary Intent
- Attestation Clause
- SAFEKEEPING OF WILLSl
17EXECUTION 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
18EXECUTION 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
19WILL 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
20WILL DOCTRINESChapter 5 (contd)
- FACTS OR ACTS OF INDEPENDENT SIGNIFICANCE
- Defined
- Requirements
- Distinguished from Incorporation by Reference
- Use
- Liberal trend (UPC)
21WILL 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
22WLIL DOCTRINESChapter 5 (contd)
- MISTAKE
- Mistake in Execution
- Mistake in Omission
- Mistake in Misdescription
- Property
- Persons
- Mistake in the Inducement
23WILL REVOCATIONChapter 6 (contd)
- REVOCATION BY PHYSICAL ACT
- REVOCATION BY SUBSEQUENT INSTRUMENT
- REVOCATION BY OPERATION OF LAW
- RE-ESTABLISHING REVOKED WILLS
24WILL 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
25WILL 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?
26WILL 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
27WILL 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
28WILL 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
29WILL SUBSTITUTESChapter 8
- LIFE INSURANCE
- JOINT TENANCY AND JOINT OWNERSHIP
- CONTRACT RIGHTS
- MULTIPLE PARTY ACCOUNTS
- GIFTS GIFTS CAUSA MORTIS
- DEEDS
30INTRODUCTION 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
31Chapter 9 Elements of a Trust
- Intention
- Trustee
- Beneficiary
- Specific trust property
- Valid trust purpose
32Chapter 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
33Chapter 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
34Chapter 13Nature of Beneficiarys Interests
- Enforceability of Beneficiarys Interest
- Transferability of Beneficiarys Interest
- Amenability of Beneficiarys Interest to Creditors
35Chapter 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
36Chapter 15Charitable Trusts
- Introduction
- History
- Nature of Charitable Trusts
- Charitable Purposes
- Modification of Charitable Trusts
- Supervision and Enforcement of Charitable Trusts
37Chapter 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
38Chapter 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
39Chapter 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
40Chapter 11 Construction Problems in Estate
Trust Proceedings
- Classification
- Distributive Problems
- Ademption
- Satisfaction
- Abatement
- Miscellaneous
- Class Gifts
- Survival Requirements Lapse