COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduces various devices used to plan an estate, including wills, trusts, joint ownership and insurance. Considers various plans in light of family situations and estate objectives. Focuses on practices involving administration of an estate including taxes and preparation of forms. Lecture 3 hours per week.
GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE
This course is designed to give the student an understanding of the law governing transfers of property upon death and of the procedures used to administer a decedent's estate.
ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES
Although there are no prerequisites for this course, proficiency (at the high school level) in spoken and written English is recommended for its successful completion.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- understand the law governing wills, trusts and estates
- understand the law governing non-probate transfers
- understand the processes of informal and formal estate
administration
- recognize and use the forms typically used in the processes of estate planning and estate administration
- assist a lawyer in every stage of estate planning and administration
- wills
- intestate succession
- testamentary and living trusts
- non-probate transfers of property
- family protection measure
- charitable gifts
- federal, state and local estate and gift taxes
- estate planning
- formal and informal probate
- the duties of personal representatives
- administering an estate
- living wills and natural death statutes
- suicide and assisted suicide
- anatomical gifts
- durable powers of
attorney for health care