| Course | BUSI 354 Estate Planning (BUSI354) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 2 |
| Assignment | Discussion Board Forum 2 |
| Paper type | Discussion thread with one reply |
| Length | about 575 words (thread and replies). Course guide: a thread that elaborates on the textbook material and analyzes the question posed in the prompt, plus a reply to a classmate's thread |
| Format | APA 7 citations and reference list |
| Points | 50 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 2 in Liberty's published BUSI 354 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 354 Week 2
Discussion Board Forum 2: Probate and Its Alternatives
BUSI 354 Estate Planning, Discussion Board Forum 2 Thread and Reply
Thread by [Student Name]
The forum prompt and the classmate's thread are composites; the textbook, research and Scripture cited are real.
A revocable living trust is worth its cost for some clients, but not for everyone, because most families already move much of their wealth outside probate without one.
Dalton and Langdon (2017) explain that probate is the court-supervised process of proving a will, paying debts and taxes and distributing what remains. It protects heirs and creditors by providing an orderly, public procedure. Its drawbacks are delay, often months or more, fees for attorneys and personal representatives, public records that anyone can read, and separate ancillary proceedings for real estate in other states. A funded revocable trust avoids those costs because property titled in the trust passes under the trust's terms, not through the court. The trust has costs of its own, however: drafting fees that usually exceed those for a simple will, and the ongoing work of retitling assets into the trust, which many clients never finish. An unfunded trust leaves the family in probate anyway, with a pour-over will doing the work.
But the trust is not the only way to avoid probate. Langbein (1984) described a nonprobate revolution in which life insurance, pension and retirement accounts, joint accounts and trusts had become will substitutes that transfer most families' wealth outside probate. A typical middle-income family's largest assets, a home owned jointly with a spouse and retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, may never enter probate at all, so long as the beneficiary designations are kept current. For many clients, the question is not whether to avoid probate but whether anything meaningful is left in it.
A trust is clearly worth it in a few situations: clients who own real estate in more than one state, clients who value privacy, clients with minor or vulnerable heirs who need ongoing management, and clients who want a plan for their own incapacity that is more robust than a power of attorney.
Scripture shows that orderly succession serves justice. When Zelophehad died without sons, his daughters asked Moses for his inheritance, and the Lord answered with a general rule of succession for Israel (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Numbers 27:1-11). Clear rules protected those who might otherwise have been left out. A good estate plan, whether a will or a trust, does the same, and the best tool is the one the client will actually complete and maintain.
Reply to Kayla
Kayla, your thread suggested that a widowed client add her adult son as a joint owner of her house and accounts to avoid probate, and you are right that joint tenancy with right of survivorship would pass those assets outside probate. Dalton and Langdon (2017) also point out the costs.
First, adding a son to a deed can be a completed gift for gift tax purposes. Second, the son's share becomes exposed to his creditors or a divorce. Third, the son may lose part of the step-up in tax basis he would receive if he inherited the house, which could mean a larger capital gains tax when he sells. A transfer-on-death deed, where state law allows one, or a revocable trust would avoid probate without those costs, and the client would keep full control of the house for as long as she lives, including the freedom to sell it or change her mind.
Jesus warned a man arguing with his brother over an inheritance to guard against all covetousness (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Luke 12:13-15). Would joint ownership with one child also risk conflict with the client's other children?
References
Dalton, M. A., & Langdon, T. P. (2017). Estate planning (8th ed.). Money Education.
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)
Langbein, J. H. (1984). The nonprobate revolution and the future of the law of succession. Harvard Law Review, 97(5), 1108-1141. https://doi.org/10.2307/1340825
What the BUSI 354 Week 2 instructions ask
This module/week assigns chapter 4 of Dalton and Langdon, a presentation and two websites, along with Quiz 2 and Forum 2. As in every BUSI 354 forum, students respond to the prompt by elaborating on the textbook material and analyzing the question it raises, then reply to a classmate. The guide gives no word count or citation minimum, so the sample uses a thread of several developed paragraphs with the textbook, one outside scholarly source and Scripture, and a reply of about two hundred words. The forum is worth 50 points. Because probate rules differ from state to state, analysis that recognizes those differences is stronger than a general rule.
How this BUSI 354 Week 2 example is built
The thread poses the real question, whether avoiding probate is worth what it costs, rather than assuming it is. It describes probate's functions and drawbacks with Dalton and Langdon's terms, then uses Langbein's account of will substitutes to show that most families already pass much of their wealth outside probate without a trust. That makes the trust decision narrower: it is worth it for specific situations, which the thread lists. The case of Zelophehad's daughters in Numbers shows that orderly succession rules serve justice. The reply addresses a common shortcut, joint ownership with children, and explains three risks the classmate missed.
BUSI 354 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
Grading looks at how well the thread elaborates on the probate chapter and analyzes the question, and at the reply's contribution. Accurate distinctions, between probate and nonprobate property, between a revocable trust and a will, and among forms of joint ownership, show understanding of the chapter. A thread that recommends a tool for some clients and not others, with reasons, demonstrates analysis. The reply should catch something the classmate missed, such as a tax or creditor consequence. Drawing on Dalton and Langdon plus an outside study, cited in current APA format, and integrating Scripture thoughtfully, reflects the standards Liberty courses apply to discussion work. Precise use of terms such as ancillary probate and funding the trust helps.
BUSI 354 Week 2 help: mistakes that cost points
Start with Dalton and Langdon's list of property that passes through probate and property that does not, because many probate debates fall apart once beneficiary designations are counted. Weigh costs and benefits for a specific kind of client rather than in general. Find an outside source on will substitutes or probate reform in a law review or journal. Note that rules differ by state. Choose Scripture on inheritance or justice in succession and connect it to the question. In the reply, test the classmate's recommendation for hidden costs such as gift tax, creditors or basis. Cite the textbook in both parts. A short comparison of what one estate would pay in probate costs with and without a funded trust makes the tradeoff concrete for classmates.
Related BUSI 354 sample papers
Other BUSI 354 weeks
- BUSI 354 Week 1: Forum 1 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 354 Week 3: Forum 3 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 354 Week 4: Forum 4 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 354 Week 5: Client Interview Analysis
- BUSI 354 Week 6: Forum 5 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 354 Week 7: Forum 6 Thread and Reply
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BUSI 354 Week 2 questions, answered
What is BUSI 354 Discussion Board Forum 2 about?
Module/Week 2's forum follows Dalton and Langdon's chapter on probate, so threads analyze what probate does, what it costs and how property can pass outside it, plus a reply.
Where can I find a free BUSI 354 Week 2 sample paper?
Here you will find a complete BUSI 354 Week 2 forum thread on when a revocable trust is worth it, with a reply on the risks of joint ownership with children.
What property avoids probate?
Property with a beneficiary designation such as life insurance and retirement accounts, property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, payable-on-death accounts and property titled in a trust generally pass outside probate.
Should I add my child to my bank account or deed to avoid probate?
It can avoid probate but may expose the asset to the child's creditors and divorce, create a taxable gift, give up control and reduce the tax basis step-up the child would otherwise receive.
What else is due in BUSI 354 Module/Week 2?
Quiz 2 is due with the forum, after chapter 4 of Dalton and Langdon, one presentation and two websites. The quiz draws on the probate chapter's terms.
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