Estate Planning Course

Lesson 1 • Nature and Scope of Inheritance Law

Defines inheritance law and its place within private law. Establishes the conceptual framework used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Sources of Inheritance Law

Maps the legal sources governing succession, from statutes to case law. Provides the research foundation needed for all subsequent analysis.

Lesson 3 • Key Parties in Succession

Identifies all actors involved in an estate proceeding. Clarifies roles and legal standing essential for later procedural chapters.

Lesson 1 • Descendants and Collateral Heirs

Covers distribution to children, grandchildren, and more distant relatives. Builds the analytical skill to trace heirship through complex family trees.

Lesson 2 • Spousal and Domestic Partner Rights

Examines the surviving spouse's intestate share and competing claims. Connects marital status rules to asset division calculations.

Lesson 3 • Disqualification and Disclaimer

Addresses circumstances that bar an heir from inheriting and voluntary renunciation. Prepares students to advise clients on strategic disclaimer planning.

Lesson 1 • Will Content and Clauses

Examines standard and specialised clauses used in testamentary documents. Equips students to draft comprehensive, unambiguous wills.

Lesson 2 • Formal Requirements for Valid Wills

Covers execution formalities including signatures, witnesses, and notarisation. Directly informs drafting checklists used in practice.

Lesson 3 • Revocation and Amendment of Wills

Explains how wills are revoked, altered, or superseded. Prevents drafting errors that inadvertently nullify a client's testamentary plan.

Lesson 4 • Will Contests and Grounds for Invalidity

Analyses litigation grounds used to challenge wills. Prepares students to defend or attack a will's validity in adversarial proceedings.

Lesson 1 • Special Purpose Trusts

Covers trusts designed for specific beneficiary needs or tax objectives. Expands the practitioner's toolkit for complex client situations.

Lesson 2 • Trust Fundamentals and Formation

Introduces the trust relationship, its parties, and creation requirements. Provides the structural knowledge needed for all trust drafting and administration topics.

Lesson 3 • Trustee Duties and Fiduciary Standards

Details the legal obligations trustees owe to beneficiaries. Directly supports trust administration and liability avoidance in practice.

Lesson 4 • Trust Modification and Termination

Examines how trusts are changed or ended during their lifetime. Prepares students to advise clients when circumstances or laws change.

Lesson 1 • Distribution to Beneficiaries

Covers the mechanics of transferring assets to heirs and legatees. Completes the administration cycle and closes the estate.

Lesson 2 • Inventory and Appraisal of Assets

Explains how estate assets are identified, valued, and documented. Feeds directly into creditor payment and distribution calculations.

Lesson 3 • Opening the Estate and Probate Filing

Covers the initial steps taken after a decedent's death to open probate. Establishes the procedural timeline that governs all subsequent administration tasks.

Lesson 4 • Creditor Claims and Debt Payment

Addresses the process for receiving, evaluating, and paying creditor claims. Protects the executor from personal liability and ensures lawful distribution.

Lesson 1 • Challenging and Defending Forced Heirship Claims

Covers litigation strategies for both claimants and estate defenders. Prepares students for adversarial proceedings involving protected shares.

Lesson 2 • Spousal Elective Share Rights

Examines the surviving spouse's right to claim against the estate. Connects to marital property regimes covered in the intestacy chapter.

Lesson 3 • Calculating the Protected Share

Teaches the mathematical methods for computing the reserved portion. Directly enables practitioners to audit estate plans for compliance.

Lesson 1 • Overview of Wealth Transfer Taxes

Maps the types of taxes imposed on estates, inheritances, and gifts. Provides the conceptual framework for all tax planning discussions that follow.

Lesson 2 • Tax-Driven Estate Planning Strategies

Introduces planning techniques that reduce transfer tax through lifetime and testamentary arrangements. Bridges tax knowledge with practical client advisory work.

Lesson 3 • Tax Compliance and Filing Obligations

Details the procedural requirements for estate and gift tax returns. Prevents malpractice exposure from missed deadlines or incomplete filings.

Lesson 4 • Valuation of Taxable Estates

Explains how assets are valued for tax purposes and common valuation disputes. Accurate valuation is the prerequisite for correct tax computation.

Lesson 1 • Charitable Giving Strategies

Covers advanced charitable vehicles that achieve philanthropic and tax goals simultaneously. Expands the practitioner's toolkit for high-net-worth clients.

Lesson 2 • Multi-Generational Wealth Transfer

Examines tools for transferring wealth across multiple generations while minimising tax. Synthesises trust, tax, and succession concepts from earlier chapters.

Lesson 3 • Business Succession Planning

Addresses the transfer of closely held businesses at death or retirement. Requires integration of entity law, valuation, and estate planning skills.

Lesson 4 • Plan Review, Update, and Client Communication

Establishes protocols for maintaining and communicating estate plans over time. Closes the planning cycle and reinforces the lawyer's ongoing advisory role.