Author Description

Building on the success of the prior editions of this highly-regarded casebook, this fourth edition continues its innovative approach of covering trusts as extensively as it does wills. The casebook’s coverage recognizes modern trends in wills, trusts, and estates planning. This edition of Florida Wills, Trusts, and Estates is the first casebook to include analysis of the recently enacted Florida statutes permitting the execution of wills, trusts, and other related documents electronically. Although Florida law is the focus, this casebook also discusses laws from other states and uniform acts approved by the Uniform Law Commission. The fourth edition also includes new uniform acts, such as the Uniform Electronic Wills Act (E-Wills Act).To encourage students to view wills, trusts, and estates issues from the standpoint of both planners and litigators, the authors include numerous questions that require students to think about ways to draft or plan to avoid litigation, while accomplishing clients’ goals. While the casebook is intended for the basic wills and trusts course, it may also be used in advanced trusts and estates courses, as it includes chapters on estate planning, powers of appointment, advanced directives, and probate.The rules governing wills and trusts continue to be state-law-driven. The authors’ philosophy is that students gain critical insights into complex issues by studying the laws of one jurisdiction as a whole. Florida law is a perfect platform for this endeavor because it has extensive probate and trust codes and significant case decisions addressing current and cutting-edge issues.