3. Wills, Probate, Intestacy and Personal Representatives
Will validity and content, preliminary death work, grant applications, intestacy, executors, administrators, estate duties and beneficiary protection.
How to study the CPQ Foundation stage
Prepare each separately assessed component on its own terms, then connect law, regulation, client service and research across the full stage.
Core concepts
Concept 1
A valid will appoints and directs, while intestacy determines entitlement where testamentary disposition fails or is absent.
Exam cue: Confirm death, will, validity, estate value and whether a grant is needed.
Concept 2
Executors derive authority from the will; administrators require a grant.
Exam cue: Identify the proper applicant and type of grant.
Concept 3
Personal representatives collect assets, pay liabilities and tax, account and distribute under fiduciary duties.
Exam cue: Sequence collection, debts, tax, accounts and distribution.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Assuming every estate requires a grant.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Treating an administrator as authorised before the grant.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Distributing before liabilities and tax are addressed.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Memory anchors
Probate opening
Death, will, value, liabilities, tax and grant need.
Authority
Executor from will; administrator from grant.
Estate order
Collect, pay, account and distribute.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What is the primary purpose of a will?
For an ordinary valid will, what does section 9 of the Wills Act require?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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