Estate and Probate Practice Administration

Overview:

This assignment assesses concepts based on the Unit 5 readings and resources. There are 4 essay questions included. Each answer should use your textbook as a source. You may use outside sources to enhance your answer. Review your answers and compare it to the question to ensure you answered what is being asked. If there are multiple parts, be sure to answer each part completely.

Instructions:

Write a paper including your answers to the following essay questions:

1. The article about Aretha Franklin mentions her significant debt to the IRS. Explain the process of abatement, and using one of her holographic Wills, describe how the abatement process would affect the distribution of legacies and devises according to that Holographic Will. Use both the textbook and article links for your citations.
2. Using your textbook, explain the term “per stirpes” and how it differs from “per capita” distribution in intestate succession. After each definition, provide an example.
3. Explain the inheritance rights of a surviving spouse (this is NOT a discussion of the intestate statutes we discussed in the forum. Look to the readings–what can a spouse do if the testator tries to disinherit him/her?).
4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a Will.

Requirements:

• Submit a Word document including the responses to the four essay questions.
• Paper must be at least 400 words in length, double-spaced. (Each essay question should be about 100 words in length).
• APA formatting and in-text citations for scholarly references are required.

Be sure to read the criteria by which your work will be evaluated before you write and again after you write. See the grading rubric on the following page.