Mastering Trusts and Estates

Mastering Trusts and Estates explains the rules for transferring property interests during the owner's life and at his or her death. In addition to transfers covered by wills and trusts, it covers transfers by intestate succession, outright gift, survivorship tenancy, and beneficiary designation. Discussion includes the transferor's goals; the effect of events, such as a beneficiary's death or decision to disclaim, that interfere with meeting those goals; default rules that apply when the transferor failed to anticipate events; and language a transferor can use to attain the outcome he or she desires. Students will see how the various ways for transferring property resemble each other, how they differ, and how they interact with each other. There are numerous examples illustrating the relevant concepts.

Mastering Trusts and Estates introduces fiduciary relationships in addition to trustee and personal representatives: trust director, UTMA custodian, conservator/guardian, and agent under a power of attorney. In addition to its focus on the Uniform Probate Code and Uniform Trust Code, it considers other uniform acts (including new or revised acts as the Uniform Parentage Act, Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, and Uniform Directed Trust Act), restatements, and state law variations. The final chapter introduces federal transfer tax provisions.