Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Eighth Edition [Hardcover]

Jesse Dukeminier (Author), Robert H. Sitkoff (Author), Mr. James Lindgren (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0735579962 | ISBN-13: 978-0735579965 | Publication Date: August 6, 2009 | Edition: 8

Retaining the late Jesse Dukeminier's signature blend of wit, erudition, insight, and playfulness, Wills, Trusts, and Estates, now in its Eighth Edition, continues to offer interesting cases, well written notes, and a logical organization.

The Eight Edition's new Companion Website, available with adoptions, includes an electronic version of the Teacher's Manual, PowerPoint slides on selected topics, and author updates.

A stellar example of a great casebook, Wills, Trusts, and Estates features:

• eminently clear presentation of topics
• comprehensive substantive coverage
• inspired case selection
• engaging notes, questions, and problems that connect and highlight legal themes and principles
• humorous and illustrative cartoons, art, photographs, and other images

With many new and revised notes, questions, and problems, the carefully updated Eighth Edition explores:

• New developments in law reform by the ALI and NCCUSL, such as:
  • the 2008 Amendments to the Uniform Probate Code, including validation of notarized wills, reformation of wills for mistake, and a reworking of the spousal share
  • the Uniform Power of Attorney Act
  • further progress in the Restatement (Third) of Trusts and Restatement (Third) of Property
• Ongoing developments in the law, in such areas as:
  • inheritance rights for same-sex partners
  • the posthumous right of publicity
  • the power of an agent to alter an incompetent principal's estate plan
  • liberalized rules of trust modification and termination, and of trustee removal
  • standing for donors in suits against the trustees of charitable trusts
  • perpetual trusts and self-settled asset protection trusts
• Increasingly important topics such as:
  • the movement to cure will execution defects and reform mistakes in wills
  • fiduciary administration and trust investment law
  • will contests, particularly the law of capacity and insane delusion

Co-authors Robert Sitkoff and James Lindgren took great care to preserve the voice and spirit of Jesse Dukeminier, while fulfilling the trust and expectation among users for timely and relevant coverage, cases, and note material.

LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU IN WILLS TRUSTS & ESTATES? TRY EXAMPLES & EXPLANATIONS: WILLS TRUSTS & ESTATES 4E (9780735562400) AND INTRODUCTION TO PROPERTY 3E (9780735589353) --TWO OF MANY GREAT STUDY GUIDES FROM WOLTERS KLUWER LAW & BUSINESS.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1025 pages
• Publisher: Aspen Publishers; 8 edition (August 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735579962
• ISBN-13: 978-0735579965
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Law > Business > Property
  • #2 in Books > Law > Taxation > Estates & Trusts
  • #2 in Books > Law > Practical Guides > Wills

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unnecessary update, September 25, 2009

By 

Eric Ledger (Monterey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Eighth Edition (Hardcover)

This book is a good book, but the update is not needed. My friend next to me in class has the seventh edition of this text and comparing the eighth edition to the previous it is obvious that the publisher is just going after more money. So few pages have been updated, so few cases have been added, they could have easily issued a paperback supplement to the seventh edition and saved students money. Putting my objections to how the textbook industry operates aside, this book is a decent read. The authors do a good job of explaining the law and the cases are edited fairly well. I'm in my third year of law school and have had several different texts by now. I would place this one on the better end. The text itself - 7 of 10. Was it a necessary update - 0 of 10.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best textbooks I have used for law school, December 4, 2009

By 

Elizabeth Ann Fischer Laurie "Law_Student at SLU" (Saint Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Eighth Edition (Hardcover)

This is a great textbook. It nicely balances foundational materials with the cases. The layout of the book makes for an easy outline. The rules are clear and thoroughly laid out in each section - I barely needed the supplements I bought.

I looked at someone's outline based on the last version of the text and there were a lot of cases that were missing and UPC sections that were incorrect. I did not compare books side by side but my prof. focused a lot on the things that have recently changed so the old version of the text would not have been that helpful for our class.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Morbid Subject Made Entertaining, May 1, 2011

By 

AshleyMonique (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Eighth Edition (Hardcover)

This was a pretty good trusts and estates book. As this subject matter can get bit morbid, I really do think the editors did a good job of picking some entertaining cases (ie. the woman who left her estate to a feminist group whose will was held invalid b/ she harbored scary crazy hatred towards men or the rich dude who left his estate to his dog). The nuances of estate planning are explained very well and I feel as though I don't need a horn book explaining the actual law for the final. I would suggest purchasing the companion case brief hornbook entitled "Casenote Legal Briefs Wills, Trusts and Estates: Keyed to Dukeminier, Sitkoff and Lindgren, 8e" because I found it really helped with my outlining and having their case briefs on hand while on call made me feel more comfortable. That said, most of the cases in the book (at least the ones that my prof assigned) were pretty short and all stood for a pretty clear rule.

Just beware of those who tell you that you do not need to buy this edition and that the 7th edition is sufficient. I checked with my professor before I purchased the 7th edition and he said it should be fine as to the law but there were a lot of differences that were not limited to pagination. Certain cases that my professor assigned were not in the 7th edition and some explantations of the law were longer in the newer book. I would sincerely tell you if I thought I could pass by with the old edition b/ I like saving money just like everyone else. This is not the book for that. I had to get this edition in the end.