The third edition of this text follows tradition with an easy-to-understand writing style that helps paralegal and legal assistant students comprehend a complex technical subject area. Undergraduate students who plan to work in the legal field, but who are not law students, will find this text to be very focused and to the point, yet broad in its coverage of topic areas related to wills, trusts and estates. All legal terms are clearly defined when first presented in the text. State-by-state information is presented clearly with the use of maps, tables and case studies. Charts and boxed cases help to make complex topics easier to understand. Each chapter begins with an outline, a list of outcomes, and job competencies. This is followed by a "day-at-the-office" scenario with questions about legal and ethical issues that arise. This gives the students a real world context in which to study the concepts of the chapter. Celebrity features, including photos, pique student interest while illustrating the subject at hand. At the end of each chapter, students find a summary, review questions, cases to discuss and chapter projects entitled "Sharpening Your Professional Skills" and Sharpening Your Legal Vocabulary." Instructors have applauded these unique features and appreciate the suggestions and guidelines for further research.