Estate,Trust and Administration

Identify and discuss the legal issues arising from the scenario below.

SCENARIO:

Darwin John celebrated his 17th birthday, with family and friends, on 21st September 2020. Darwin's birthday party was also a celebration of him winning $400,000 in the lottery. Four months after Darwin's birthday, a global pandemic occurs and his father, John John, is hospitalized. John has contracted the virus which affects the lungs. After a month in the hospital John is sent home. He spends time with his son Darwin and daughters, Anna and Mae, as well as his wife, Ellise. Unfortunately, John was hospitalized again in June and admitted into the intensive care unit. John receives five weeks of treatment, but his chances of survival are slim. The doctor calls John's family and tells them that John does not have long to live. The next day John's brother, Joe, and sister, Jill, along with his wife and children visit him at the hospital. They all reminisce on good memories and John asks his wife to write down something for him. John tells her that when he leaves this world he wants her to live in the house at Green Valley and after she dies, to Anna and Mae. Darwin will get all his shares in the family hardware business and Anna will get all the money in his bank account. John tells Joe that he is entrusting him to make sure that everything goes smoothly after his death. John then writes his name on the paper. Seeing this,Ellise is overcomewith tears and gives the paper to Joe. Joe and Jill sign and take it home. The next day Joe goes to visit John. John tells Joe to add to the paper that Mae should get all of his jewelry. Joe writes this and signs. That afternoon John is put on life support. Three months later, Darwin falls ill with a lung infection and is admitted into the intensive care unit. He is visited by his mother, sisters, aunt and uncle. He tells them to write that he wants his property to be given to Mae and his shares in the family business to Anna, if his clock stops working. Darwin's mother aunt signed the paper and gave it to his uncle to ensure its safety. Darwin died that night.