Wills Flashcards
Three most common ways in which property of a GA decedent passes upon death:
- Intestacy
- Testate: Will
- Non-probate transfers
No valid will or non-probate device: Property passes to:
D’s heirs at law.
No valid will or non-probate device: Probate court appoints:
the administrator of the estate.
No valid will or non-probate device: Administrator is selected by:
the heirs.
No valid will or non-probate device: If the heirs cannot reach a unanimous agreement on the administrator:
Probate ct appoints as administrator the person who best serves the estate’s interests.
No valid will or non-probate device: An order for ‘No Administration Necessary’ may be issued if : (3 factors met)
- Consent is given by all heirs.
- There are no debts of the estate or any creditors consent to the order; and
- The heirs sign and have notarized an agreement as to the distribution of property (which is attached to the petition.)
Testate Administration: Decedent’s Will: Probate ct appoints:
the executor who is named in T’s will.
Testate Administration: Decedent’s Will: If no executor is named in the will the ct will appoint:
an administrator with will annexed.
Testate Administration: Decedent’s Will: Executor, Administrators, etc. are referred to generally as:
Personal representatives.
Forms of probate: (2)
- Common form
2. Solemn form
Probate in common form may be:
granted immediately, without notice, but is not conclusive for 4 years.
Probate in solemn form requires:
notice to heirs, propounders, and beneficiaries of other wills, etc.
Probate in solemn form is effective:
immediately
A will must be probated within:
five years of the time that any other petition is filed concerning the estate. (e.g. the petition for appt of an administrator or petition for year’s support, etc.)
If an individual is in possession of a decedent’s will it must be:
filed in the probate ct. Even if it is not probated.
A Year’s Support: Available to the decedent’s:
SURVIVING spouse and.or the MINOR children OF THE DECEDENT.
A Year’s Support: Available in both cases of:
Intestacy and when there is a will.
An award of A Year’s Support takes precedence over:
ALL DEBTS OF THE ESTATE
EXCEPT
SECURED DEBTS.
Support property passes in:
fee simple. Spouse/kids don’t have to give back any portion that is not used up at the end of the year.
Spouse/Minor Children are awarded the amount that they request in their petition unless:
an objection is filed.
If an objection against the spouse/minor children’s request for a year’s support is filed then:
a hearing is held and the amount of the award is determined by the PROBATE JUDGE and is based on the spouse/kids standard of living and any other available means of support they may have.
A Year’s Support: Separate awards may be granted to the spouse and children and separate awards are required when:
the surviving spouse is not the parent of the surviving minor children.
All personal representatives are under the jurisdiction of:
the Probate ct of the county in which D was domiciled on the date of death. Alternatively for a D who was domiciled outside of GA, the county in which real property owned by D is located.
Powers and duties of personal representatives: (6)
DIP FAN
Distribute the estate to heirs and beneficiaries
Inventory - file w/ court and heirs or beneficiaries
Permission to sell estate property
File annual and final return
Assemble estate’s assets (and post bond)
Notice to creditors and pay off debts after 6 mo.
Steps for distributing estate to heirs and beneficiaries:
- Executor takes TITLE to D’s property when appointed.
- Executor transfers title to the beneficiaries with an EXECUTOR’S DEED.
- If an individual dies intestate, title to RP descends to the D’s heirs subject to being divested by the appointment of an ADMINISTRATOR.
Intestate share of surviving spouse and lineal descendants: If D is survived by spouse but no lineal descendants then:
Surviving spouse takes the entire estate.
Lineal descendants:
Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.
Intestate share of surviving spouse and lineal descendants: If D is survived by spouse and lineal descendants then:
The spouse takes equally with the children, but never less than 1/3 of the estate.
Intestate share of surviving spouse and lineal descendants: If D has no surviving spouse but has surviving lineal descendants then:
the lineal descendants take PER CAPITA and PER STIRPES
Intestate share of surviving spouse and lineal descendants: If D dies with no surviving spouse or lineal descendants then:
D’s parents share equally. No surviving parents? D’s siblings share the estate with the issue of deceased siblings taking that sibling’s share per stirpes.
Intestate share of surviving spouse and lineal descendants: SPECIAL RULE: If D’s siblings are set to take from D, but they have all predeceased D, then:
D’s estate is divided EQUALLY among any surviving nieces and nephews.
Non-Marital Children: A child can always inherit from:
his mother, unless parental rights have been terminated.
Non-Marital Children: A child born out of wedlock can only inherit from his biological father if:
C M A C G GC Cam
Genetic testing - 97% probability (rebuttable presumption)
Court Order entered that recognizes paternity
Clear and convincing evidence that he is the father
Affidavit, Sworn - signed by father (or if he willingly signed birth certificate)
Marriage - if the parents marry later - automatically legit.
Non-Marital Children: If there is no other way of procuring genetic material a court may order:
an exhumation of D’s remains.
Non-Marital Children: Can step-children inherit from step-parents?
No.
Who can adopted children inherit from intestate?
Adoptive parents but NOT from biological parents that were still living when the adoption took place.
Equitable adoption (virtual adoption): Occurs if there is:
an unperformed K to adopt. For example if adoption proceedings had begun by D died before adoption was formalized, then child may claim virtual adoption.
Is the mere existence of a de facto parent child relationship enough to find a virtual adoption?
No. There must be an agreement to adopt b/t parents and the one who plans to adopt.
Order of intestate distribution: Go down the list until you find someone who can take.
- Surviving spouse and lineal descendants.
- Parents or surviving parent.
- Siblings and their descendants.
- Grandparents
- Aunts/Uncles
- First cousins
- Nearest kin.
Advancement of intestate share:
any LIFETIME transfer of money or property by a donor to someone who is expected to be that donor’s heir, given with the intent that the five be applied against any share that person inherits from the donor’s estate.
A lifetime gift will be treated as an advancement only if there is:
- Writing signed by the donor w/i 30 days of making the transfer, or
- A written acknowledgement by the recipient signed at any time.
Procedure if an advancement is found:
The gift’s value when given is added back into the estate for purposes of calculating shares
THEN subtracted from the recipient’s share.
The heir need not return the advancement if it is in EXCESS of the value of her intestate share.
Doctrine of advancements only applies to:
intestate estates.
Similar doctrine called Ademption by Satisfaction apples to wills.
Simultaneous death: When passage of title to property depends on priority of death and there is INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE that the persons have died other than simultaneously then:
the property of each decedent is disposed as if he had survived the other, absent a contrary provision.
Georgia has ______ adopted the 120 hour rule.
not
Simultaneous death: Wills:
A’s will is treated as if A survived B. B’s will is treated as if B survived A.
Simultaneous death: Intestacy:
For A’s property A is presumed to have outlived B. For B’s property B is presumed to have outlived A.
Simultaneous death: Life insurance: If A is named as primary beneficiary on life insurance policy insuring B’s life and A’s children are named as secondary beneficiaries. Then under simultaneous death:
A is deemed to die before B (the insured) , so the life insurance proceeds are paid to A’s children (the secondary beneficiaries.)
Simultaneous death: Joint tenancy w/ right of survivorship: If A and B own property as JT with Right of SS, one half of the property passes as though A survived (as part of A’s estate) and the other half passes as though B survived (as part of B’s estate) They are treated as:
tenants in common.
Simultaneous death: Survivorship clauses: Example: “To my husband J PROVIDED HE SURVIVES ME BY 30 DAYS.” If wife had this provision, then:
J WOULD NOT be deemed to have survived wife unless he survived by 30 days.
Public policy restrictions on inheritance: When an person kills another FELONIOUSLY AND INTENTIONALLY; the slayer shall not take from the victim’s estate; rather, the slayer is treated as if:
she predeceased the victim. With the slayer’s descendants taking the portion that would have gone to the killer.
For the purposes of probate law a killing is felonious and intentional if:
it would constitute murder, felony murder, or voluntary manslaughter under GA law.
For the purposes of probate law in the absence of a conviction in a criminal court - or a guilty plea - the nature of the killing may be established by:
clear and convincing evidence.
A heir or beneficiary may renounce his interest provided the renunciation does three things:
- Is accomplished BEFORE the acceptance of property,
- is accomplished in writing, and
- is filed with the ct. or the personal representative w/i 9 months of the death of the decedent.
Renunciation may be:
in whole or in part.
Renunciation results in property passing as if the renouncing party:
predeceased D unless the will provides otherwise.
The renunciation of a life estate:
accelerates the remainder.
A CONTRACT to make a will, not to revoke a will, or to die intestate must be:
in writing, signed by the party against whom the action is being taken.
Remedies on breach of K to make a will, not to revoke a will, or to die intestate:
- Damages
- Specific performance
- Quantum Meruit
Note: Breach does not occur until promisor’s death, therefore SOL doesn’t begin to run until promisor’s death.
Joint will:
Single instrument executed on the SAME PIECE OF PAPER by two or more testators and intended to be the will of each.
Probate of joint will:
Goes to probate for the first time when the first testator dies and then is probated again upon the death of the second testator.