Law and theory of estate planning, probate, and options of probate with emphasis on wills, trusts, community property agreements, gifts, estate taxation, probate procedures, and administration and accounting.

• Understand and explain the different methods by which property transfers at death, including wills and trusts.
• Understand and explain lifetime planning tools including life estates, joint ownership, Totten Trusts, conditional transfers, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care proxies.
• Understand and explain lifetime planning tools including life estates, joint ownership, Totten Trusts, conditional transfers, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care proxies.
• Understand and explain the various roles and ethical considerations in the administration of a trust.
• Understand and explain the process of probating and administering an estate.
• Prepare documents for simple estates to include powers of attorney, living wills, health care proxies, and simple wills and trusts, and lawfully execute those documents.

NOTE: Chapter Outlines and Learning Outcomes will be presented in each module.

As noted elsewhere, we have a 16-week semester and 15 chapters in our textbook to cover. That means we will cover one chapter each week (See listing above). The textbook material is included as part of a Module for the particular subject we are studying. Ensure you are familiar with the contents of each module and work to complete all gradable assignments. With that in mind, here are the basic requirements to complete this course. Unless otherwise noted, each module must be completed within the week of the module.

Each module will include a reading assignment from your textbook. There may also be supplemental readings, with most of those being included as part of this coursepack. Most modules will use an exam (multiple choice) to evaluate your new understanding. Some modules will use demonstrative productions (i.., you will create something) to show that you can perform specific legal tasks.

Due dates, initially, will be as follows:

• Module exam every Monday*
• Demonstrative assignments due on Monday following the end of the module.

There is no midterm exam.

A final comprehensive exam will appear no less than a week before it is due.

This course is approximately 16 weeks long. Our chosen textbook has 15 chapters. Logically, based on that information, we will cover one chapter per week. Presented below is the expected outline of the chapters we will cover. Assign each chapter to a corresponding week in the first 15 weeks of the Fall 2025 semester.

• Week 1 -- Chapter 1. The Estate Plan and the Purpose and Need for a Will
• Week 2 -- Chapter 2. The Concept of Property Related to Wills, Trusts, and Estate Administration
• Week 3 -- Chapter 3. The Law of Succession: Death Testate or Intestate
• Week 4 -- Chapter 4. Wills: Validity Requirements, Modification, Revocation, and Contests
• Week 5 -- Chapter 5. Preparation to Draft a Will: Checklists and the Conference with the Client
• Week 6 -- Chapter 6. Final Draft and Execution of a Valid Will
• Week 7 -- Chapter 7. The Participants and the Proper Court
• Week 8 -- Chapter 8. Personal Representatives: Types, Pre-Probate Duties, and Appointment
• Week 9 -- Chapter 9. Probate and Estate Administration
• Week 10 -- Chapter 10. Informal Probate Administration
• Week 11 -- Chapter 11. Tax Considerations in the Administration of Estates
• Week 12 -- Chapter 12. Introduction to Trusts
• Week -- Chapter 13. Classification of Trusts, the Living Trust, and Other Special Trusts
• Week 14 -- Chapter 14. Estate Planning
• Week 15 -- Chapter 15. Long-Term Care
• Week 16 – Final Exams

The legal profession is well known to require strict deadlines. Whether it is the deadline for submitting forensic evidence, the timely filing of pleadings, or the submission of briefs to the US Supreme Court, the consequences of missing a deadline can be catastrophic.

Because you are studying the law, and many of you will enter the legal profession, I have adopted a policy on late assignments and make-up work which is similar to those found I the various Rules of Procedure for all levels of the justice system. This will encourage you to begin developing habits of submitting work on time, without complaint or request for special treatment. The following policy is hereby adopted and applied for this course.

Late Assignments

• Timeliness – Time is a variable we can’t change, so make sure you know when materials are due and plan accordingly.
• Length to Complete – Gradable work will be included in each week’s assignments. In each instance, you will have at least one week to prepare and submit your work. That is plenty of time for everything we will do. With proper planning, including pre-planning, you should never need to turn in anything late.
• Excused Absences – With few exceptions, there are no excused absences. See #1 to remind yourself that you will have plenty of time to complete any assignment or gradable work. NOTE: Those on school-sponsored or recognized activities have the duty to create opportunities for success. This may mean completing you work early so that you do not miss a deadline.
• Special Dispensation – From time to time, a life event can occur that is not easily prepared for, and when these occur, a special dispensation or alteration of due dates will be made. To obtain such special treatment, you should prepare any supporting documentation that explains the need for your absence. As an example, if you have a heart attack 10 minutes before an exam opens, then you can receive this special treatment by presenting proof of the extreme reason causing the missed assignment.
• In all instances, the burden to both go forward with your claim and to provide sufficient reason/evidence of the need rests with you.

Make-up Work

• See the policy on late assignments first. Beyond that, there will be little reason to require make-up work. Plan appropriately, make this class a priority in your schedule, and do your best to stay within the framework of this policy and the need for make-up work is reduced to zero.
• Before you make a request for make-up work, please evaluate and answer each of the questions below. These are similar questions I will ask when you make the request.
  • Q1) What planning did you do to avoid the need for makeup work?
  • Q2) Did you anticipate or foresee the need for makeup work?
  • Q4) What actions did you take to reduce the need? Additionally, what actions were valid but that you did not take to avoid the need?
  • Q5) Would the court, your employer, or other persons having an interest likely grant you the ability to make up work? Why or why not?
• Only when you can prove that you have done everything reasonable to avoid this problem will I consider your request.

NOTE: For both late work and makeup work, the request must be made in writing within 24 hours of the missed deadline. Failure to meet this deadline will then automatically forfeit your opportunity for a reprieve. In addition, all requests must be made in writing and include a formal statement of the reason for the request, the facts supporting your request, a statement on your efforts to avoid the problem, and the grounds upon which you believe late or makeup work should be accepted for a grade.

Each long journey requires clear directions and instructions on where to go. A roadmap is the most common method for delivering that information to the traveller. In education, students are the travelers in each class. To navigate their way through the class, they use a syllabus, which serves as the roadmap for the course.

This syllabus contains important information that will help you succeed in class. The contents are listed below, and each section is organized to make them easily accessible. The syllabus serves as a guide to your educational journey.

This syllabus includes course policies, rules and regulations, required texts, and a schedule of assignments. Use the list below to help you find the different sections.