SQE1 Wills and Administration of Estates – Rules, Exceptions & Key Distinctions Cheat Sheet

A comprehensive 46-page SQE1 Wills and Administration of Estates revision guide designed to help you understand, organise and quickly recall the rules most likely to be tested in multiple-choice questions.

The resource is structured to follow the relevant SRA SQE1 Assessment Specification and Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) applicable.

The cheat sheet presents the subject in structured, exam-focused sections highlighting general rules, exceptions, important limits, formalities, legal effects, calculations, deadlines and recurring MCQ traps.

Topics covered include:

• Testamentary capacity and intention
• Will formalities and execution
• Privileged wills
• Revocation and alteration
• Property passing outside the will
• Types of testamentary gifts
• Failure of gifts
• Ademption and lapse
• Intestacy
• Inheritance Tax
• Lifetime transfers
• Grants of representation
• Executors and administrators
• Collection and administration of the estate
• Payment of debts and liabilities
• Distribution of the estate
• Family provision claims
• Post-death variations

The guide places particular emphasis on the distinctions that commonly decide SQE1 questions, including formalities, the order in which an estate is analysed, tax treatment, entitlement under intestacy and the responsibilities of personal representatives.

The resource is designed for use when consolidating Wills and Administration of Estates, preparing for mocks or completing final-stage revision before the SQE1 examination.

Please note: This is an independently prepared revision resource and is not affiliated with, approved by or endorsed by the SRA, Kaplan, any university, education provider or SQE training provider. It is intended as a supplementary study aid and should be used alongside the official SQE assessment specification and your main study materials.