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Supplement to Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration 6th Edition Dennis Hower and Peter T.Kahn ISBN-10 1-4180-3933-0 Dr. Richard Patete, J.D. Keiser.

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Presentation on theme: "Supplement to Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration 6th Edition Dennis Hower and Peter T.Kahn ISBN-10 1-4180-3933-0 Dr. Richard Patete, J.D. Keiser."— Presentation transcript:

1 Supplement to Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration 6th Edition Dennis Hower and Peter T.Kahn ISBN Dr. Richard Patete, J.D. Keiser University-Sarasota Campus Copyright 2007 © 2008 Delmar, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

2 Chapter One The Estate Plan and the Purpose and Need for a Will
An arrangement of a person’s estate using the laws of various disciplines (wills, trusts, taxes, Insurance, and property) to gain maximum financial benefit of all the laws for the disposition of a person’s assets. During life (inter vivos) and after death

3 Will The legally enforceable written declaration of a person’s intended distribution of property after death Usually written

4 Will Requirements Capacity Legal Capacity- Testamentary capacity
Age at which a person acquires capacity to a valid will, usually 18 Testamentary capacity Sanity required for a person to make a will Sound mind

5 Vocabulary Testator Testatrix Male who makes or dies with a valid will
Female who makes or dies with a valid will

6 Requirements Writing Witnesses Signed by Testator/trix Sound mind
Capacity

7 Probate A court-supervised administration of a decedent’s estate
Decendent- the person who has died

8 Terminology - Wills Beneficiary Devisee Legatee
A person entitled to receive property under a will Devisee A person who receives a gift of real property under a will Legatee A person who receives a gift of personal property under a will

9 Terminology - Intestate
A person dies without a valid will or a will Heir A person who receives a gift of real property from an intestate Next of Kin Closest blood relative of the decedent

10 Terminology Ambulatory Codicil Letter of Instruction Subject to change
A written amendment to a will Letter of Instruction A document that specifies the testator’s intentions but does not formally amend or change the will

11 Residuary Estate The remaining assets of the decedent’s estate after all debts have been paid and all other gifts in the will distributed

12 Property Distributions
Tenancy in Common Joint Tenancy Tenant by Entireties

13 Structure of the Estate
Testator Estate Letter of Instruction Personal Representative Beneficiary

14 Trusts A third party instrument made during life which is effective either at death or during life Testamentary Trust A trust that is effective death Inter vivos trust- a trust that is effective during life

15 Structure of a Trust Trustee Inter vivos gifts Trust Estate Or Corpus
Settlor Beneficiary

16 Title Legal Title Equitable Title Right to ownership by name
Right to control the asset and manage the property for the benefit of another

17 Trustee Name of person or office that infers a person of trust
Named by the testator to carry out their wishes in a trust Compare to Executor/personal represenative who carries out wishes in will

18 Personal Representative
Person who administers and distributes decedent’s estate either intestate or testate Compare to Executor/trix who carries out the provisions of the will Administrator/trix – person appointed to carry out and distribute the decedent’s estate when they die without a will

19 Will Substitutes Joint Tenancy Life Insurance Inter vivos trust
Inter vivos gift Community Property agreement Pay on Death instruments – deeds or bank accounts

20 Chapter Two The Concept of Property Related to Wills, Trusts and Estates
Real Property Immovable, fixed or permanent E.g. Land, trees, etc. Personal Property Movable E.g. Cars, boats, furniture

21 Real Property Realty or Real Estate Immovable
Affixed to land or buildings Growing on the land “Fixture” something so attached to the land as to be deemed a part of it.

22 Transfer Deed A writing, signed by the grantor conveying title to real property to grantee. Grantor person who conveys to another Grantee Person to whom real property is conveyed

23 Personal Property Chattel Movable Tangible Intangible
Property that has a physical existence and can be touched Eg. Boat, car Intangible Property that has no physical existence Eg. Check, IOU or Copyright

24 Estate All property owned by a person while alive or at the time of death. Probate Property Property subject estate administration Non-probate property Transferred without estate administration By operation of law, eg. Life insurance benefits

25 Forms of property ownership
Tenants in Severalty Concurrent Ownership Joint Tenancy Tenants in common Tenants in entirety Community Property N.B. Can be used as a will substitute

26 Tenants in Severalty Ownership by one person Probate Property

27 Joint Tenancy Ownership by two or more Right of survivorship
Ownership passes by operation of law without probate Unities of time, title, interest and possession Undivided ownership interest

28 Tenants in Common Unities of Time, Title and interest But NOT Possession Each owner controls their interest and establishes a right to take or control the whole property and share in profits

29 Partition A remedy for a division of real property held by joint tenants or tenants in common so that the individuals can hold title in severalty.

30 Tenants by Entirety A form of joint tenancy available only to husband and wife Right of survivorship Added bonus, creditors of individual may not seize property of the tenancy because the entirety is considered as one entity

31 Community Property All property, other than property received by gift, will, or inheritance, acquired by either spouse during the marriage Considered to be owned by both spouses equally Adopted by nine states – Opt in -Alaska

32 Separate Property Property owned by the husband or wife prior to their marriage OR acquired during the marriage by gift, will or inheritance

33 Estates in Real Property
Freehold An estate in real property of uncertain duration, eg., life estate Fee Simple Largest and best and most extensive estate possible Life Estate An estate held by a person during his or someone else’s life

34 Life Estate Life Tenant Pur Autre vie-measured by the life of another
Future interest-what is reserved to the grantor Reversion-returns to the grantor Remainder-goes to another person

35 Spouses right to election
Statutory right granted by law giving the surviving spouse the choice To take against the will or That provided by statute

36 Waste Legal concept that allows an owner to recover for permanent damage to real property Any act or omission that changes the character or value of the property.

37 Leasehold Estate Tenancy at will Tenancy at sufferance
Tenancy for month/years Lasts for a fixed period of time Generally, these are tenancies operated under the terms of a lease.

38 Chapter Three The Participants and the Proper Court
Personal Representative Attorney Paralegal Probate Court Registrar Clerk or Court Administrator

39 Personal Representative
Person or corporate institution that administers the estate of a decedent A position of trust and loyalty Fiduciary duty Act in good faith

40 Estate Administration Duties
Letters Testamentary Letters of Administration Bond or Surety

41 Attorney Works for a represents the Estate
Does not represent the heirs or beneficiaries Acts as legal advisor to estate

42 Paralegal Acts under the direction and supervision of the attorney
Drafting of documents Data collection Client contact Cannot give legal advice Follows upon procedural issues

43 Probate Court Jurisdiction
Insures executor properly administers estate by: Creditors with proper claims get paid Pay taxes Gifts to heirs or beneficiary are paid

44 Probate Procedure by which a document is presented to a court to confirm it is a valid will Court may oversee distribution and payment

45 Probate Proceedings Process of distribution of the estates assets and liabilities

46 Will Contest Litigation challenging the validity of a will

47 Jurisdiction The authority of a court to decide a certain kind of case and having the authority to enforce it E.g. Will contests and probate are in decided and handled by courts of general jurisdiction Compare to “Venue”

48 Venue The particular place where a court having authority may hear and decide a case

49 Domicile The state in which the decedent intended to call home
Compare with residence

50 Residence A temporary place of dwelling

51 Types of Jurisdiction In rem In personam
Jurisdiction over the property In personam Jurisdiction over the person

52 Ancillary jurisdiction
Additional jurisdiction over other items of the estate which is used to make a complete disposition of assets Often times in other states E.g. property owned outside of the domicile of the decedent

53 Chapter Four The Law of Succession: Testate vs. Intestate
Testacy Death with a valid will Intestacy Death without a valid will

54 Holographic Wills A will written in the testator’s own hand
May or may not be valid in your state Validity varies from state to state-check the state statutes

55 Nuncupative An oral will Spoken in the presence of witnesses
Generally not valid except in extreme circumstances

56 Statutory Will A fill-in-the-blank will created and authorized by state statute

57 Joint or reciprocal will
Usually between husband and wife Made at same time and name each other as mutual beneficiary. Check validity of joint will for each state

58 Living Will A document separate from a will that expresses a person’s wish to be allowed to stay alive or to die by natural consequences Not really a will disposing of assets but more of directive

59 Types of Gifts in a Will Specific bequest or legacy
Gift of a particular item or class of personal property Specific Devise A gift of real property

60 Legacy Demonstrative General
A gift of a specific monetary amount from a particular item or sale of item E.g. $10,000 from sale of house General A gift of a fixed amount of money from the general assets of the estate E.g. I give the sum of $10,000 to …

61 Residuary A gift, either by legacy or devise, of all of the testator’s property not otherwise disposed of specifically

62 What happens when the gift is not present at time of death?
Ademption An intentional act by testator, while alive, to cancel or revoke the gift or to deliver the gift to another or to the beneficiary Lapse Failure to distribute a in the will because the beneficiary dies before the testator Abatement The process that determines the order in which made by testator shall be applied to pay the decedent’s taxes, creditors and expenses

63 Intestacy Death without a valid will
Distribution is made by state statute Kindred-persons related to one another by blood, a/k/a, next of kin Consanguinity-persons related by blood through a common ancestor

64 Descendants A claimant related to the decedent through a lineal or collateral blood line See chart on page 106-8 Exhibits 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7

65 Per Capita Distribution
Division of intestate estate “by the heads” Distribution without benefit of right of representation Right of a child to receive if the parent or was still alive Distribution by the number of heads alive See examples pages

66 Per Stirpes Distribution based upon the relationship of those entitled to the estate Distribution by way of a class or group and not by heads or individuals Example page 111

67 Escheat The passage of an intestate’s property to the state when there are no surviving blood relatives or spouses

68 Rights of Survivors Surviving spouses Right of election Forced share
Spouse’s choice of statutory share or gift under the will Forced share Statute that authorizes the spouse to make the choice

69 Divorce If granted after execution of the will, gift determined by state law Generally, divorce revokes the gift to the former spouse and not the will itself Gifts to former spouse usually pass to residuary beneficiary Legal separation does not change former spouse status

70 Marriage Subsequent marriage may revoke entire will-state by state analysis Compare joint tenancy created prior to marriage

71 Premarital agreements
Contracts between man and woman before their marriage where property rights are usually predetermined Occurs usually in second marriages to protect children of first marriage and to protect second spouse Compare post-marital agreement

72 Children Natural children are treated the same as adopted children
Nonmarital children May inherit from non married parents but governed on a state by state basis Pretermitted children Omitted child in a will Look to statute to determine affect of whether intentional or not Parents can intentionally disherit children; unlike disheriting a spouse

73 Chapter Five Wills: Validation Requirements, Modification, Revocation, and Contests
Testamentary Intent Capacity Writing Signed by Testator/trix Witness

74 Testamentary Intent Testator must intend instrument to operate as his/her last will Usually expressed in the document

75 Capacity Sound mind Natural objects of the testator’s bounty
Cannot have insane delusions Lucid intervals Temporary restoration of sanity Permissible to make valid will, e.g. dementia

76 Writing Must be hand written or typed Most oral wills are not valid

77 Signature Must be signed by its maker Can be signed by a mark
Intent to sign and make will

78 Witnesses Attest to the testator’s signature
Attest to intent to be bound Are capable and competent to act Disinterested Publication that it is testator’s will

79 Codicil An amendment to the Will Codicil vs. Will
Codicil must have same requirements as a Will Changes the terms of the Will

80 Revocation of Will Ambulatory Revocable and subject to change
Ambulatory until death Revocation by Act tears, burns, cancel, cross out, destroy Must have intent to revoke

81 Operation of Law Rights that pass by rules of law without act or knowledge For example Marriage Divorce Can revoke all or part of will or its provisions

82 Subsequent writing New will Codicil
Both can revoke or change the terms of a will

83 Will Contests If will is invalid, then distribute assets through intestacy laws Grounds Not properly executed No notice Requirements not adhered to Capacity revocation

84 In terrorem clause A clause in a will that if a beneficiary of the will objects to probate or challenges the will and its distributions, contestand forfeits all benefits of the will

85 Chapter Six Preparation to draft a will
Information gathering Intent of the client Family data Estate planning Assets, liabilities How are assets titled Real vs. Personal property

86 Preparation – cont’d Insurance Inter vivos documents or agreements
Taxes Children and heirs are to be identified Conditions to gifts: Precedent or subsequent

87 Chapter Seven Final Draft and Execution
Contents of a Standard Will Introduction or Exordium or Publication General Revocation Clause Payment of debts and expenses Instructions for final burial Specific gifts Residuary Clause

88 Contents – cont’d Standard Provisions Appoint personal representative
Appoint guardian Simultaneous death Testamentary trust Testimonium clause Signature of Testator

89 Contents – cont’d Standard Provisions Attestation of witnesses
Options Self-proving provisions Letter of instruction Power of Attorney Living Will Medical Power of attorney

90 Chapter Eight Introduction to Trusts
Terminology Trust Settlor Trustee Legal title Equitable Title Beneficiary Trust Property/Corpus Trust Instrument

91 Creation of a Trust

92 Trust A property arrangement in which real or personal property is transferred from the settlor to one or more trustees who hold legal title to the property for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries who hold equitable title

93 Settlor The creator of a trust. The gift giver or donor

94 Trustee A person of trust who holds property in trust for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. A fiduciary (trusted person) who is required to perform all trust duties according to the term of the trust instrument and law with loyalty, honesty and good faith

95 Legal Title A form of ownership giving the trustee the right to control and manage the property for another’s benefit

96 Equitable Title The right of the party who holds the equitable title or beneficial interest to the benefits of the trust.

97 Beneficiary A person who has the enjoyment and benefit of the property of the trust. The right to receive the benefits of the trust

98 Trust Property/Corpus
The real or personal property of the trust that the trustee holds and was given or donated by the settlor

99 Trust Instrument The written instrument that sets forth the creation of the trust, the terms of the trust and the rights, duties and obligations of the trustee and beneficiary

100 Types of trusts Revocable Irrevocable
Settlor has the right to revoke or change the terms of the trust prior to death Irrevocable Once created, it cannot be revoked or changed by the settlor

101 Essential Elements of a Trust
A settlor who creates the trust One or more trustees who administer and manage the trust One or more beneficiaries who receive the benefits of the trust and who enforce the trust Real or personal property that must be transferred to the trust

102 Removal or Resignation of Trustee
Voluntary Resignation Lack of Capacity Serious breach of trust Refusal to post bond Refusal to give accounting Crime of dishonesty Absence from state-prolonged Unreasonable failure to cooperate

103 Powers of Trustee Delineated in trust agreement State statutes E.G.
Sell assets Lease property Carry on business Lend or borrow money Hire professionals

104 Duties of Trustee Duty of performance and due care Duty of loyalty
Duty to preserve and possess corpus Duty to invest corpus Duty to make payments of income and principal to beneficiaries Account to profits and losses

105 Liability of Trustee Breach of trust (legal/equitable) Removal
Breach of any prior duties Recover assets Investment policy method is improper Compel to perform duty Loyalty to beneficiary

106 Cost of Trustee Usually a percentage of the assets under management
May be waived for family members Can be regulated by statute

107 Beneficiary Equitable interest in the corpus
No right to direct distributions or investment Can enforce terms of trust May be individuals or class of people

108 Corpus Property of the trust Gift from grantor or settlor
Corpus, res, trust property Real and/or personal property

109 Termination of trust Completion of the trust purpose
Revocation by settlor Merger of interests (legal/equitable) Upon request of beneficiary when there is no express purpose that requires continuation of trust

110 Chapter 9 Classification of Trusts
Express Created for explicit terms or purpose Implied Created by operation of law based upon implied intent

111 Express Trusts Private Public Settlor intends to create a trust
Trustee named Beneficiary named Transfer of property Public Same elements as private trust, except that a social benefit or charitable purpose is set forth and there is an indefinite class of beneficiaries

112 Cypress Doctrine An equity court may order a gift intended for a charity that is now nonexistent be given a purpose to another charity that is near or closely related to the original charitable purpose of the settlor

113 Active vs. Passive Active Passive Trustee active manages trust
No active duties

114 Inter vivos trust Created during the life of the settlor
Can be public or private

115 Testamentary Trust Created at time of death or becomes effective upon execution of will

116 Rule against Perpetuities
Fixes a time period within a future interest must vest Rule: no interest is valid unless itvests, if at all, not later than 21 years, plus the gestation period, after some life or being at the time of creation

117 Implied Trusts Resulting Constructive
Created by operation of law from circumstances implied from the intentions of the parties. Can be a remedy to litigation Constructive Involuntary trust created by operation of law to recover property from a person who obtained possession or legal rights illegally or improperly

118 Miscellaneous trusts Spendthrift Totten Sprinkling
Created for beneficiaries who are financially irresponsible Totten Pay on death Sprinkling Trustee has authority and discretion to accumulate or distribute income, principal or both among beneficiaries in varying amounts

119 Revocable Living Trusts
Same conditions apply as for trusts in general Can be an advantage over a will and can be considered a will substitute since it avoid probate Reduce cost of estate administration Avoids publicity No court supervision Tax savings Allows settlor to manage or dictate assets and distributions after death

120 Disadvantages of Living trust
Costly to create Settlor must transfer assets into trust and give up control during life

121 Pour Over Will A will provision in which the testator directs the residue of the estate into an existing living trust

122 Irrevocable Trusts Cannot be changed or the corpus returned after gifted Terms may be changed during settlors life, but trust continues

123 Trust Administration Pre-death Post-death Manage trust property
Preserve and maintain corpus File tax returns Post-death Obtain EIN Notice to beneficiary Open account Transfer funds Collect, preserve and value corpus Pay creditor claims File tax returns Distribute income or principal to beneficiary

124 Chapter 10 Estate Planning
Considerations Client data Federal and state gift and estate taxes Estate administration expenses Forced liquidation Termination of employment

125 Documentation Wills Trusts Power of Attorney Living Will
Life Insurance Periodic review is recommended in the event of a change in life circumstances

126 Tax considerations Marital Deduction
Unlimited amount of the decedent’s gross estate which may be given to the surviving spouse without being subject to taxes being levied against the estate

127 Bypass Trusts Often called A-B trust, credit shelter trust, residuary trust or family trust A portion of the deceased spouse’s estate passes to a trust rather than directly to surviving spouse Reduces the surviving spouses trust Usually surviving spouse is given a life estate in the trust

128 Charitable Trusts Tax laws allow a deduction form the estate for this gift, thus reducing the taxable amount of the estate

129 Tax savings that reduce the Gross estate
Gifts made during donor’s life Powers of Appointment Trusts that qualify for marital deduction Life insurance

130 Power of Appointment Created in a will or trust that gives a person the authority or “power” to select the nominee of the gift

131 QTIP Trust that will qualify for the marital deduction in which the surviving spouse receives all of the income for life but is not given a general power of appointment

132 Life Insurance Whole Life Term Life Universal life
Pays contract amount on death Builds a cash value during life Term Life Builds no cash value during life Ends at a specific age Universal life Combination of Whole and Term N.B. All policy payments pass outside of the estate and are not subject to probate or estate administration

133 Life Insurance Trusts A trust created that cannot be revoked or amended which is established by a settlor who assigns the ownership of a new or existing life insurance policy on the settlor’s life Settlor contributes money annually to the trust to pay the premiums Policy proceeds are payable to the trust on the death of the settlor

134 Postmortem Estate Planning
Estate planning the occurs after the death of the testator/settlor E.G.- Disclaimer Allows a beneficiary or heir to refuse a gift by will, trust or inheritance without any adverse tax consequences N.B. Results in a tax savings

135 Chapter 11 Long-Term Care
The support people need when they can no longer care for themselves because of infirmity, frailty, disability or a lingering illness

136 Resources to pay for long-term care
Social Security SSI Medicaid Medicare Insurance Personal assets

137 Chapter 12 Personal Representative: Types, Duties, Pre-probate Duties and Appointment
Anyone empowered or authorized to administer the estate of the deceased, whether the deceased died testate or intestate

138 Pre-Probate Duties Search for Will and personal or business records
Notification of death to others Obtain death certificate Family conference Being appointed Bond

139 Probating (Proving) Will
Witnesses present at time of will signing Testator declaration of intent to sign will Testator did sign will Testator over the age of 18

140 Letters of Authority Letters Testamentary Letters of Administration
Authority granted to PR when there is a will Letters of Administration Authority granted to PR when there is no will and/or testator died intestate

141 Chapter 13 Probate and Estate Administration
The act or process of proving the validity of the will Estate Administration Procedures and duties of the PR which include the collection and inventory of assets, payment of approved claims and taxes, final distribution of the assets to the beneficiary and heirs entitled to receive

142 Small Estate Settlement and Administration
Estate with few or limited monetary value The amount varies by state Amount set by statute Avoid the lengthy and costly probate process Collection by affidavit – an alternative abbreviated process Title and possession of personal property is transferred w/o need of third parties from estate to beneficiaries or heirs

143 Summary Administration
Applies to smaller estates that do not exceed the maximum limit set by statute Is an abbreviated probate process Shorter and simpler than regular estate administration

144 Family Settlement Agreement
Private written agreement among heirs or beneficiaries unanimously agreeing on the distribution of the estate without supervision by the court

145 Commencing Probate and Estate Administration
Petition for probate of will Petition for administration Publication of proceedings Notice of rights of beneficiaries Pay funeral expenses Miscellaneous duties before hearing

146 Probate and Estate Administration-cont’d
Hearing to prove will Selection of PR Admit will-grant administration Issue Letters Testamentary/Administration EIN Open Estate checking account Notice to Creditors Appoint guardians or trustees Admit foreign will to probate

147 Procedures before Estate Distribution
Open safe deposit box Collect and preserve assets Prepare inventory Detailed list of property, description and value at time or death Prepare appraisal Market based evaluation of property Prepare schedule of non-probate assets File inventory and appraisal

148 Distribution of Estate; Payment of Claims
Distribute family allowances or exempt property to spouse and/or minor children Attend hearing on creditor’s claims and pay approved or allowed claims Transfer of assets

149 Note to Editor

150 Final Account and Closing the Estate
File Final Account; Petition for Settlement and Distribution Give notice of hearing for Final account and distribution Prepare and file federal and state income taxes with final account Request order approving of final accounting

151 Final Account and Closing the Estate-cont’d
Granting of final account and distribution by the court Collect receipts for distribution of assets to beneficiary/heir Petition for Discharge of PR Cancel PR bond

152 PR Liability The PR who acts reasonably and in good faith faces no personal liability Stray from this general rule or violate fiduciary duty, PR may be personally liable

153 Chapter 14 Informal Probate Administration
Generally reduces the time required to complete the administration of the estate Fewer steps and less complicated proceedings Allows for easy distribution, since there is no notice requirements or court approval required

154 Application for Informal Probate
Appointment of PR Apply for Informal Probate Acceptance by Registrar of Wills Meet all requirements Affirmed statements Applicant is interested person Proper venue 120 hours since decedent’s death Those demanding notice received it

155 Duties and Powers of Personal Representative
Proper distribution of estate assets according to will Notice to interested persons Payment of creditor claims Inventory Property Hold and manage assets Final accounting Close the estate

156 Chapter 15 Tax Consideration in the Administration of Estates
Income Tax Levy of tax on income Death Tax Levy of tax on property transferred at death Gift Tax Levy of tax on property transferred during life

157 Unified Credit A credit against the federal unified transfer tax on gifts and estates The credit is subtracted from the tax due See Exhibits 15.2 and 15.3

158 Marital Deduction A testator’s estate is entitled to the marital deduction for transfer between spouses if there is a surviving spouse and if the decedent leaves all or a portion of the estate to the surviving spouse

159 Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
Allows any kind of real or personal property to be transferred to a custodianship as a gift to a minor Gift is irrevocable

160 Generation Skipping Transfers
A transfer of assets to a person two or more generations below the transferor E.g., from grandparent to grandchild

161 Trust-generation skipping
A trust the partially avoids the federal gift and estate tax on property to a beneficiary two or more generations below transferor Tax: federal when the value exceeds the lifetime exemption Currently $2M

162 Tax Returns PR responsibility Federal Income State Income
Federal Fiduciary Income State Fiduciary Income Federal Gift State Gift Federal Estate Tax (generation skipping) State Estate Tax State Inheritance Tax

163 Gross Estate All assets owned by the decedent at death and the value of any interest held in property, less liabilities owed on that property Valuation is a date of death valuation

164 Taxable Estate After a determination of the gross estate, then deductions and exemptions are applied to determine the taxable estate Expenses, liens, debts, taxes Losses during the estate Marital deduction Charitable deductions State Death tax Credit amounts, such as unified credit

165 Chapter 16 Ethical Principles
Standards and Guidelines that apply to the legal profession Written and published by various organizations ABA-American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Responsibility Model Code of Professional Responsibility

166 Ethics At the national level, the Rules and Codes are recommendations that may be adopted by the states Opinions are issued interpreting the Rules and Code giving further clarification

167 Cannons General rules or principles that establish behavior and professional responsibility

168 Disciplinary Rules Minimum professional conduct that if violated may lead to disciplinary action against an attorney

169 Attorneys and Paralegals
Many states make the attorney liable for that actions of the paralegal Done by Rules or Codes of disciplinary conduct Some Organizations and States regulate or make recommendations for the regulation of paralegals

170 Professional Standards for Paralegals
American Association of Paralegal Education National Federation of Paralegal Associations National Association of Legal Assistants

171 Unauthorized Practice of Law
To engage in legal work that involves exercising professional judgment or advice usually reserved for an attorney. Can be a misrepresentation of the persons status Penalty: Disciplinary conduct, civil liability or criminal sanctions

172 Privileges Attorney-client
A rule that confidential communication in the course of the professional employment between the attorney and client may be divulged or compelled to divulge by the attorney without the client’s consent Compare: Work Product Privilege: work of an attorney for a client that includes private memo in anticipation of trial or litigation does not have to be divulged

173 © 2008 Delmar, Cengage Learning.
The End Supplement to Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration 6th Edition Dennis Hower and Peter T.Kahn ISBN © 2008 Delmar, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.


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