Equity and Trusts

What this unit covers

The listed resources follow the usual path of a trusts course. The notes on the history of equity and the nature of trusts explain how the Court of Chancery grew out of the King's duty to hear pleas from his subjects. From there, the mind maps move through types of trust, express trusts and constructive trusts, which arise by operation of law whatever the parties intended.

Where to start

Begin with the foundations, then build up in this order:

1. The flashcard deck Intro to Trusts, or Trusts & Estates - 1, which defines settlor, trustee, beneficiary and trust property.
2. The mind map Express Trusts, which covers formalities, perfection techniques and the three certainties.
3. The flashcard deck The 3 Certainties, which lists cases such as Re Gulbenkian, Jones v Lock, Palmer v Simmonds and Hunter v Moss.
4. Later topics: secret trusts, charity and the cy-pres doctrine, tracing, and remedies for breach of trust.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a mind map first to see how a topic fits together. Then take a quiz on the same area. The quizzes include Maxims of Equity, Express Trusts, Administration of Trusts and E&T Remedies. Anything you get wrong tells you which map or flashcard deck to reopen.

Several topics have more than one version, such as the many mind maps on the three certainties. Compare them, since each contributor organises the material a little differently. The mind maps on Re Baden's Deed Trusts and McPhail v Doulton are handy for case detail.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Private Law strand within Law (general and introduction). Nearly all of the material is university level, so it suits degree study and teachers looking for ready-made revision material.

Choose one topic today, open its map and see how far a quiz takes you.