Dead Hands - A Social History of Wills, Trusts, and Inheritance Law (Paperback)

The law of succession rests on a single brute fact: you can't take it with you. The stock of wealth that turns over as people die is staggeringly large. In the United States alone, some $41 trillion will pass from the dead to the living in the first half of the 21st century. But the social impact of inheritance is more than a matter of money; it is also a matter of what money buys and brings about.
Law and custom allow people many ways to pass on their property. As Friedman's enlightening social history reveals, a decline in formal rules, the ascendancy of will substitutes over classic wills, social changes like the rise of the family of affection, changing ideas of acceptable heirs, and the potential disappearance of the estate tax all play a large role in the balance of wealth. "Dead Hands" uncovers the tremendous social and legal importance of this rite of passage, and how it reflects changing values and priorities in American families and society.

General

Imprint:	Stanford University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2009
First published:	2009
Authors:	Lawrence M. Friedman
Dimensions:	229 x 153 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	230
ISBN-13:	978-0-8047-6209-0
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Law > English law > Financial, taxation, commercial, industrial > Financial law > Taxation law Books > Law > English law > Private, property, family > Personal property > General Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Private, property, family law > Personal property law > Wills & probate Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
LSN:	0-8047-6209-0
Barcode:	9780804762090

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!