Trusts and Estates

Decedents’ Estates

I. Intestate succession

A. Share of the surviving spouse
B. Share of children and more remote descendants

1. Adopted children
2. Children born out of wedlock
3. Half-bloods

C. Share of ancestors and collaterals
D. Advancements
E. Simultaneous death

II. Wills

A. Execution requirements

1. Governing law
2. Wills complying with law of domicile
3. Foreign wills
4. Holographic wills
5. Interested witnesses

B. Integration of wills
C. Codicils
D. Incorporation by reference
E. Facts of independent significance
F. Revocation

1. Dependent relative revocation
2. Revocation due to changed circumstances
3. Revocation by physical act
4. Partial revocation

G. Revival
H. Contractual wills
I. Construction problems

1. Lapsed legacies
2. Ademption
3. Accretions
4. Satisfaction
5. Exoneration
6. Slayer statutes
7. Disclaimers
8. Simultaneous death
9. Abatement
10. Classification of legacies and devises
11. Gifts to classes
12. Gifts to children and issue

J. Will contests

1. Age requirement
2. Mental capacity
3. Undue influence
4. Fraud
5. Mistake
6. No-contest clauses
7. Standing to contest

K. Non-probate transfers

1. Inter vivos gifts
2. Joint tenancy
3. Tentative trusts and pay-on-death accounts
4. Other non-probate transfers

L. Powers and duties of personal representative

III. Family protection

A. Spouse’s forced or elective shares

1. Size
2. Assets subject to share

B. Share of after-born or pretermitted child

IV. Living wills and durable health care powers

A. Execution requirements
B. Revocation
C. Individuals eligible to be agent or
attorney-in-fact
D. Authority of agent or attorney-in-fact

Trusts and Future Interests

I. Trusts

A. Classification
B. Creation

1. Requirement of trust res
2. Requirement of beneficiary
3. Requirement of trustee

C. Types of trusts

1. Revocable
2. Irrevocable
3. Testamentary
4. Pourover
5. Charitable

D. Alienability of trust interests
E.  Protective trusts

1. Discretionary trusts
2. Support trusts
3. Spendthrift trusts

F. Powers of invasion
G. Modification
H. Termination
I. Powers and duties of trustees

1. Prudent person rule
2. Duty of care
3. Duty of loyalty
4. Duty to act impartially
5. Principal and income allocations

II. Future interests

A. Classification of reversions, remainders, and executory interests
B. Life estates and terms of years
C. Vested and contingent interests
D. Powers of appointment
E. Acceleration of future interests
F. Rule Against Perpetuities

1. Common law
2. Wait-and-see
3. Cy pres
4. Other reforms

III. Construction problems

A. Survivorship problems
B. Gifts to classes
C. Gifts to heirs
D. Doctrine of Worthier Title
E. Gifts to children and issue

1. Adopted children
2. Children born out of wedlock

F. Death without issue
G. Gifts by implication