Jenkins 2018 Probate & Intestacy Flashcards
What is intestate succession?
The way a person’s property is distributed if she/he dies without a will.
What does it mean if you die intestate?
It means you die without a valid will. Your property is distributed to your heirs under Ch 2 of probate code.
What is a testator?
A person who makes a will or person who dies leaving a will.
What is the difference between descent and distribution?
In common law, both refer to the passage of property from testator to person inheriting. Real property is passed by descent and person property passes by distribution. Use term devise for both now.
What is the difference between devisees and legatees?
In common law, person receiving land is a divisee, a person receiving personal property is a legatee. Now we use divisee for both.
What is consanguinity?
It’s the degree of blood relationship between two people. Will help determine distribution when someone dies without a will.
What is lineal consanguinity?
It has to do with the way people are related. Lineal consanguinity has a direct line between you and the person, up or down - parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, children, grandchildren.
What is collateral consanguinity?
Applies to anyone you’re related to because you share a common ancestor, not up or down - sibling, half-sibling, uncles, aunts, cousins
What is an intestacy statute?
A statute that determines who gets your goodies if you die without a valid will - intestate. In Texas it is Ch 2.
What is the typical order of intestacy statutes?
1 Surviving spouse 2 children 3 parents 4 brothers and sisters 5 grandparents 6 next of kin 7 state
What does next of kin mean?
Next of kin is calculated by looking at which people stand at the same closest degree of consanguinity.
example
1st degree parents - children
2nd degree grandparents - grandchildren
What are degrees of consanguinity?
They determine who the next of kin are. It is the amount of steps between you and the heirs.
Example
1st degree parents and children
2nd degree grandparents and grandchildren
What i the civil law method of determining degrees of consanguinity?
- separate lineal relatives from collateral relatives
- for lineal, count the steps between you and the relative in question
- for collateral, count steps to first common ancestor then down to the relative in question
What is the significance of determining degrees of consanguinity?
Relatives sharing the same closest number of degrees of consanguinity will share your estate. Count the steps in lineal then collateral if necessary.
How does the common law method for determining degrees of consanguinity differ from the civil law method?
Common law counts the steps for collateral relatives differently.
What is the doctrine of escheat?
If you die without a will and without any relatives that are sufficiently closely related to you, your things go to the state instead of going to any of whatever distant relatives you do have.
What is renunciation in the context of estate property?
When a person is entitled to a gift under a will or share of an intestate’s estate but they turn it down. The gift is renounced or disclaimed. It is executed after death.
What is a release of expectancy in the context of estate property?
When a person is entitled to a gift under a will or share of an intestate’s estate but they turn it down before their death. There must be consideration for the release.
Why in the world would anybody want to renounce their share of a decedent’s estate?
To avoid creditors, or estate taxes.
When a person dies intestate leaving more than one descendant, is the state divided equally among his descedants?
Maybe.
If they’re all the same generation most statutes divide the estate equally.
If they are different generations most statutes give different shares.
What is the difference between the terms per capita and per stirpes?
Per capita is when all descendants take equal shares.
Per stirpes is when each descendant’s share is determined by the share his ancestor would have received.
For purposes of the rules of intestacy, what is a half blood?
Someone who shares only one common ancestor with the person in question, like a half-sister or half-brother.
How are illegitimate children treated differently than legitimate children for purposes for intestacy, according to modern laws?
Depends on if the mom or dad dies. Illegitimate children are considered children of the mother and can inherit from her and her relatives. On the other hand, the father has to acknowledge the child or marry the mother to legitimize the child.
How do the rights of adopted children differ from those of the natural children when it comes to the rules of intestacy?
They can inherit from the adoptive parents.
They can’t inherit from the biological parents if there is termination and adoption.
If one parent dies and the other parent remarries the child can inherit from the deceased parent, living parent and step parent.
What is an advancement?
A gift an intestate makes during their life, to a relative, intending it to be applied against any share in the intestate’s estate that the relative might be entitled to on the intestate’s death.
When one of the heirs to an intestate’s estate has received an advancement, how do you calculate each heir’s share of the estate?
You add back any advancements, figure out the shares after the add-back, and then deduct the advancement from the appropriate heir’s share.
How do you figure out whether a gift to an intestate’s relative is an advancement or not?
Donor must sign a writing saying it’s an advancement or recipient acknowledges that it is an advancement. Otherwise it’s presumed to be an inter vivos gift.
Can someone who intentionally kills a decedent inherit, in intestacy, from the decedent?
Not in a murder case or voluntary manslaughter case. In some states not if a civil court finds him guilty and a criminal court doesn’t.
Is it possible to be excluded from an intestate’s estate because you’re deemed unworthy of taking a share of it?
Yes. Examples
parent abandons child - can’t inherit form child
spouse abandons spouse or commits adultery - can’t inherit from spouse
What is transfer of expectancy?
When heir transfers their interest in intestate estate to a third party before decedent’s death. There must be consideration for the transfer.
What is a personal representative?
Anyone authorized by the court to administer the estate whether by will or intestacy.
What is an executor?
Person the testator named in the will to administer the estate.
What is an administrator?
Person appointed by the court to administer an estate of an intestate.
What is an administrator with the will annexed?
Person appointed to administer the estate of a decedent although his will names an executor. Occurs if will fails to name executor or if the person can’t or won’t serve as executor.
What if an attorney makes a mistake in drafting the will?
The attorney can be held liable for malpractice. Beneficiaries can sue in tort (negligence) or contract.
What are the protected classes of potential beneficiaries in the family?
Surviving spouse and children of the testator.
How do statutes and common law rules protect the testator’s family when it comes to wills?
They provide mandatory shares to prevent unintentional and intention disinheritance of spouse and to prevent unintentional disinheritance of children
How is the surviving spouse protect by modern statutes?
Elective shares give the surviving spouse the choice of one of several alternatives:
1 what spouse gets under deceased spouse’s will
2 1/3 of deceased spouse’s estate
3 what spouse would get under intestacy
How do transfers made by a deceased spouse during his or her lifetime affect the surviving spouse’s elective share?
depends:
Did the deceased spouse make the transfer with the intent of depriving the surviving spouse of a share?
Was the transfer real or illusory?
How is a spouse protected against unintentional disinheritance, under modern statutes?
If the spouse married after the will, statutes give the spouse a share of the estate. (Omitted spouses)
Can a spouse waive his or her elective share in the other spouse’s estate?
Yes, rights can be waived, released, or contracted away in a pre-nupt or post-nupt.
As a general rule, may parents completely disinherit their children if they want to?
Yes but statutes will protect children that are unintentionally disinherited.
What is a pretermitted heir?
A child that unintentionally left out of a will. (usually born after will signed)
What portion of deceased parent’s estate may be claimed by a pretermitted child?
Whatever portion the child would have received if parent died intestate.
What if the residuary beneficiary predeceases the testator, who gets the beneficiary’s interest?
It passes to other residuary legatees.
What is an antilapse statute?
if devisee dies but leaves issue that survive the testator, and the testator doesn’t provide for alternative disposition, then that divisee’s gift passes to his issue not the residuary beneficiary under the will.
What is administration of an estate?
Formal court enforced process of liquidating and managing the decedent’s estate. payment of debts and liquidation of assets.
What is probate?
Proving that the will is genuine and executed in accordance with the required formalities.
What is the function of probate?
It vests legal title of estate property in the executor or administrator who then collects the assets, pays the debts, and finally distributes assets to beneficiaries with the court’s approval.
What is a petitioner?
The person who files petition asking the court to probate a will or files petition asking to be appointed administrator.
What is the difference between a debt of the estate and an administration expense?
Debt is an obligation created prior to death.
Expense is an obligation created during administration or the estate.
What is the impact of the timing of probating a will?
1 executor can begin to act on behalf of the estate
2 the validity of the will is no longer subject to attack
How is a will probated?
1 person named as executor files petition to probate
2 interested parties are given notice and opportunity to object/respond
3 court hearing to prove - death, domicile, genuineness of will, compliance with execution requirements, and testamentary capacity
4 will admitted to probate and petitioner is named executor
How is an intestate estate probated?
1 petitioner files petition for appointment as administrator
2 interested parties are given notice and opportunity to object/respond
3 hearing to determine if there is an intestacy and if petitioner will be appointed
4 administrator appointed, bond filed, and a certificate of appointment is issued
What is the order of appointment for an administrator in an intestate estate?
1 surviving spouse
2 child
3 another heir
How do you determine which state has jurisdiction over the probate of decedent’s estate?
Use decedent’s domicile. There may be ancillary administration in other states.