Distribution Flashcards
A tenet by entirety on a bank account creates what presumption?
That the account is to be left for the other person on the account
4 Considerations the court considers when appointing an agent
- efficiency
- trustworthiness and dependability
- level-headiness and rationality
- Availability and proximity
descent and distribution state statutes defines
who will take and what share of the decedent’s probate property that the individual will take when a decedent dies intestate
descent and distribution state statutes contains
disposition and administration of intestate estate
Intestate succession
the process whereby probate property is passed via intestacy
Intestate succession can occur for what 4 reasons
- did not create a valid will
- created a valid will that did not dispose of all the decedents probate property, resulting in what is known as partial intestacy
- created a valid will but later validly revoked the will
- created what purported to be a valid will but was not ultimately admitted into the probate following the decedents death.
heirs
individuals who receive property via intestate succession
heirs apparent
when a statute has a hierarchy of heirs that prioritizes certain familial relationships over others
heirs apparent is used only during the
decedents life
Besides who the beneficiaries and who is appointed as an agent is… Intestacy statues may also determine what 3 things
- who can challenge a will
- define terms used in a will
- offer rules for providing a share for an omitted spouse or omitted child
Collateral kindred examples
siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins
ancestors typically receive
a share only if none of the decedents descendants survive
When are schemes of representation applied?
when multiple heirs are eligible to receive the decedents probate property
Under what 2 circumstances does a surviving spouse get the entire estate?
- no descendant or parent survives the decedent
OR - All the decedents surviving descendants are also the descendant’s surviving spouses AND the surviving spouse has not other descendant that has survived the decedent
IF:
The surviving spouse shares descendants but has other surviving descendants who are not descendants of the decedent
What does the surviving spouse get?
the 1st 225k plus 1/2 of any balance of the intestate
UPC Heirs than Surviving Spouse
If no surviving spouse…
the entire intestate passes to the decedents descendants, parents or other heirs
UPC Heirs than Surviving Spouse
If no surviving spouse… and is survived by 1+ descendants
part of the estate not passing to the surviving spouse passes to the decedents surviving descendants
How is a punitive spouse different from a common law spouse?
similar, but they have a good “faith belief” that they are lawfully married
Even when there is no right to a unmarried cohabitant to inherit under intestacy statutes, many juris allow inheritance under
an express written contract
When survived by a grandparent the intestate estate is distributed by
one share per
1. surviving grandparents, and
2. Deceased grandparents with one or more surviving descendent if any
When survived by a grandparent what are two senarios for if the deceased grandparents have surviving descendants
- The deceased grandparents descendants are also descendants of a surviving grandparent, and they have no other surviving descendants
- the descendants are considered to predecease the decedent - If two+ deceased grandparents have the same surviving descendants, and they have no other surviving descendants
- the deceased grandparents are deemed to be deceased with a surviving descendants
If not survived by descendant, parent, descendant of a parent, grandparent, or descendant of a grandparent, who the survives you
descendants of a deceased spouse
ancestral property
property inherited from the decedents ancestors
What is the table of consanguinity
hierarchy of ancestors and collateral kindred
What id there is no eligible heirs for a decedents intestate estate?
The estate escheats to the state
Representation
Allocating shares between and among a multigenerational class of heirs
3 methods of representation
- Strict per stripes
- modern per stripes
- Per capita at each generation
Working through a representation problem tip: diagram the family tree
- identify the relationships
- put each heir on their proper family line AND generational level
Working through a representation problem tip: Verify eligibility of each potential heir
- ex. survivorship rules (ex. not stepchildren but yes to adopted children)
- if an ancestor is living, the ancestors descendent does not take
- don’t count a dead branch with no surviving descendant
Descendants: marital v nonmarital children
There are no complete bars against nonmarital children
Parentage
Establishment of a legally recognized parent-child relationship
Uniform Parental Act: presumptions of parentage can be
Rebutted
2 US sup ct holdings on child inheritance based on marital status
- Cannot base intestate succession rights on marital status
- Cannot limit paternity actions to 6 years after child’s birth
Uniform Parental Act: when do stepchildren inherit
When there is no other qualified relatives and the property would otherwise escheat to the state
Intestacy statutes and surviving spouse’s priority
all juris. intestacy statutes give the surviving spouse the highest priority
IF:
1. no descendant or parent survives the decedent
OR
2. All the decedents surviving descendants are also the descendant’s surviving spouses AND the surviving spouse has not other descendant that has survived the decedent
What does the surviving spouse of a decadent get?
the entire estate
UPC Heirs than Surviving Spouse
If no surviving spouse or descendant… and is survived by 1+ parent… the estate is divided by what
- Each surviving parents, and
- deceased parents with one or more surviving descendants, if any