NITA Publications

Transactional Practice Series: The Fields Family

The Transactional Practice Series is a set of books developed to teach lawyering skills, such as interviewing, negotiation and drafting documents. The Series offers a client-centered approach to the study of law, allowing law students to counsel clients in ongoing mock transactions. The Series provides a realistic viewpoint not usually available when analyzing completed transactions summarized in casebooks.

The Fields Family: Estate Planning examines the issues confronting the Fields family in the drafting of their mother's new will and their grandson's prenuptial agreement, as well as the administration of their grandmother's will and sale of their grandmother's house.

• >> TABLE OF CONTENTS
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  PREFACE
  
  HOW TO USE THE TRANSACTIONAL PRACTICE SERIES
  The Client Files
  Simulated Skills Exercises
  Written Assignments
  
  KAREN J. FIELDS--ESTATE PLANNING FILE
  Assigning Memorandum
  Brief Description
  Discussion Points and Problems
  
  SAMUEL I. AND KAREN FIELDS--ESTATE PLANNING FILE
  Related Memoranda and Correspondence
  Original Documents of Karen J. Fields
  First Codicil
  Will
  Durable Power of Attorney
  Sample Will Form
  
  RELATED CASES AND MATERIALS
  Shapria v. Union National Bank, et al., 39 Ohio Misc. 28 (1974)
  Ogle v. Fuiten, 102 Ill. 2d 356 (1984)
  
  WALTER I. FIELDS--PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT FILE
  Assigning Memorandum
  Brief Description
  Discussion Points and Problems
  
  WALTER I. FIELDS--TRUST FILE
  Letter to Walter re: Decision to Keep Property in Trust
  Letter to Walter re: Right to Receive Trust Property
  Agreement of Trust f/b/o Walter I. Fields
  Letter to Emily W. Johnson f/b/o Walter I. Fields
  Transmittal Memos re: Trust f/b/o Walter I. Fields
  
  SAMPLE DOCUMENTS
  Engagement Letter
  Prenuptial Agreement
  Cohabitation Agreement
  
  RELATED CASES AND MATERIALS
  Simeone v. Simeone, 525 Pa. 392 (1990)
  Osborne v. Osborne, 384 Mass. 591 (1981)
  
  EMILY W. JOHNSON--ESTATE ADMINISTRATION AND SALE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE FILES
  Assigning Memorandum
  Brief Description
  Discussion Points and Problems
  
  EMILY W. JOHNSON--ESTATE ADMINISTRATION FILE
  Memorandum re: Estate Administration
  Obituary Notice
  Memorandum re: Assets at Date of Death
  Transmittal Memoranda
  Memoranda re: Estimate of Mrs. Johnson's Assets
  Letter to Mrs. Johnson re: Estate Planning Documents
  Additional Transmittal Memoranda
  
  EMILY W. JOHNSON?ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FILE
  Second Codicil
  First Codicil
  Will
  Durable Power of Attorney
  
  ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE
  
  PETITION FOR PROBATE AND GRANT OF LETTERS TESTAMENTARY
  
  EMILY W. JOHNSON--THE SALE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE FILE
  Open House Invitation
  Transmittal Letter re: First Offer
  First Offer to Purchase
  Transmittal Letters re: Second Offer
  Second Offer to Purchase
  
  ESTIMATED SETTLEMENT COSTS TO ESTATE
  
  CASES AND RELATED MATERIALS
  Fickett v. Superior Court of Pima City, 27 Ariz App. 793 (1976)
  Stambovsky v. Ackley, 572 N.Y.S. 2d 672 (1991)
  
  DRAFTING TIPS

• >> AUTHOR
  
  
  • Nancy J. Knauer
    
    
    • Nancy J. Knauer is the Peter J. Liacouras Professor of Law at Temple University's Beasley School of Law. Her areas of specialty include political and civil rights, property, taxation, elder law and issues involving same-sex relationships, including domestic violence, estate planning, and survivor benefits. In 2009, Knauer received a Dukeminier Award and the Stu Walter Prize from the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School for her article "LGBT Elder Law: Toward Equity in Aging," 21 Harvard Journal of Law and Gender 1. In 2002, Knauer was named a university "Great Teacher" and, with her colleague, Eleanor Myers, received the first annual CPR Dispute Resolution Award for teaching problem solving in the law school. Knauer is also a three-time recipient of the George P. Williams Award for excellence in teaching. She is a prolific and well-respected author and speaks frequently throughout the United States and abroad. Knauer received her B.A. undergraduate degree (cum laude) from the University of Pennsylvania in history in 1981 and returned to receive her J.D. there in 1984. Before turning to teaching, she was an associate attorney at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews and Ingersoll, where she specialized in the representation of tax-exempt organization and estate planning.