Exam 52: Wills, Trusts, and Estates

Chen Stevenson died at the age of 85 leaving behind all his property to Phillip Miller, his butler. The news of the new will that Chen executed three months before his death naming Phillip as the sole beneficiary surprised everyone. By his prior will, he had bequeathed his estate to his two daughters and three grandchildren on a per capita basis. The court took up proceedings to determine the validity of his new will because Chen's rejection of his daughters and grandchildren in his will was uncharacteristic of him. The court most likely suspected this change to be a case of ________.

What is intestate succession?

What is the attestation clause for a will?

A testamentary trust is created while the settlor is still alive.

________ is a principle that says if a testator leaves a specific devise of property to a beneficiary, but the property is no longer in the estate when the testator dies, the beneficiary receives nothing.

An oral will that is made before a witness during the testator's last illness is defined as a ________.

Nuncupative wills are legally binding oral wills that are made on a testator's deathbed in the absence of witnesses.

A gift of $100,000 to a named beneficiary is an example of a general gift.

The process of a deceased's property being collected, debts and taxes being paid, and the remainder of the estate being distributed is known as ________.