This short paralegal-specific paperback helps your students Understand The essential legal principles involved in estate practice. In eight clear and concise chapters, Helewitz provides an overview of estate planning and administration, and moves to sources of property (personal as well as real), The laws of succession, trusts, wills, estate administration, and estate taxation. Because estate law is primarily state statute oriented, Helewitz uses the final chapter to chart and compare the law for all 50 states. An ideal companion to your state-specific materials, this book is as flexible as it is practical. Features include: numerous examples to help students clarify and test their understanding of concepts; case studies, review questions, and key terms positioned at the end of each chapter for optional use; two useful appendices to California and New York law, that are cross-referenced To The text, explore and explain state-specific issues; several probate forms from various county and state jurisdictions; and extensive coverage of trusts. Consistently focusing on the legal assistant's application of concepts learned, Helewitz follows four fictional families with unique real-life concerns. A single mother wants to plan for her young son's future education...a middle-aged couple wants to enjoy retirement and round out a grown son's college education...an affluent elderly couple in the midst of a property battle with one child wants to make sure its other children and grandchildren are cared for and treated fairly following their deaths...and, a 30-something bachelor wants to increase his assets and, In case of his death, leave his estate to friends rather than his well-to-do family. A superb Instructor's Manual provides helpful guidance and suggested test questions. The manual is also available on disk to adopters of the book.