A Research Agenda for Succession Law

This new book edited by Dr Brian Sloan, Assistant Professor in Property Law and Fellow of Robinson College, has been published by Edward Elgar.

A Research Agenda for Succession Law brings together an international group of leading scholars to map out the future of legal research in the field of inheritance and estates. The book arises from papers from a conference on the same title held at Robinson College in July 2024, which was supported by Cambridge Family Law (CFL), the Cambridge Private Law Centre (CPLC), the SLS Small Projects and Events Fund, and Robinson College.

The volume addresses how succession law must evolve to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, including ageing populations, the rise of digital assets, and increasingly complex family structures. A Research Agenda for Succession Law explores a wide range of provocative topics, from the legal validity of electronic wills and the ownership of human ashes to the impact of aboriginal inheritance customs and the merits of disinheritance. Using diverse research methods, the contributors examine the extent to which current legal frameworks provide clarity and respect testamentary freedom in a rapidly changing social and economic landscape.

The book has received praise from distinguished figures in the field. Professor Reinhard Zimmermann, Emeritus Director at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, described it as a volume that "demonstrates that there are countless challenging questions requiring an answer in this area of the law," noting its relevance to both common law and civilian systems.

A Research Agenda for Succession Law is part of the Elgar Research Agendas series and is intended as a vital resource for legal scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

For more information, see the publisher's website.

More information about Dr Sloan is available on his Faculty profile.