Abstract
One of the basic tenets of estate planning declares that there is no such thing as a typical estate and therefore there can be no such thing as a typical estate plan. Emphasis is placed on the unique character of each case and the positive need to tailor the plan to fit the client's total situation. Accepting the validity of the foregoing, however, does not mean that one must start from scratch in each case. Instead, the attorney who is trying to pare repetitious work to a safe minimum might develop a solution to the problem by having a series of basic estate plans or patterns and then, rather than regarding these plans as Procrustean beds, he can take the pattern that most closely approximates the client's needs and alter it accordingly. The attorney following this approach can not only produce a plan that fits as well as one tailor-made from scratch but also one which, due to the time saved by starting from a basic pattern, has been developed most efficiently.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1975
Recommended Citation
J. Rodney Johnson, Simplifying the Martial Deduction Will, Va. B. Ass'n J., January 1975 at 12