The term is often described as having originated in Renaissance Italy, where there allegedly existed the tradition of smashing a banker's bench if he defaulted on payment

This may be done for tax reasons or to control the property and its benefits if the settlor is absent, incapacitated, or deceased

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject

a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the estate is settled according to the laws of intestacy that apply in the jurisdiction where the deceased resided at the time of their death

Estate planning or inheritance planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the management of a person's estate or net worth during the person's life in preparation for future incapacity or death

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A filing is required if the gross estate of the decedent, increased by the decedent’s adjusted taxable gifts and specific gift tax exemption, is valued at more than the filing threshold for the year of the decedent’s death, as shown in the table below