"Inheritance Law and the Evolving Family is a very important book, perhaps an essential one for family scholars and professionals who are trying to devise a sound course through the legal maze created by new family commitments and dissolutions. This clearly written, carefully argued, and incredibly informative book is my newest essential reference Bible and I'm trying to learn it verse by verse. I would recommend it to friends, colleagues and anyone trying to understand our changing family systems and the way our institutions and laws do, and don't, support them."—Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Washington
"This well-documented study examines the role of inheritance in non-traditional family forms. Clearly presented is the role of probate law in influencing the life ways of these varied family forms. The author demonstrates that current inheritance laws developed over historic times with the focus on the nuclear family that is no longer the norm.... This book will be of tremendous value to family researchers, psychologists, sociologists, lawyers, the legal system and social practitioners."—Marvin B. Sussman, Ph.D.
"This is an enlightening survey of American inheritance laws. Brashier outlines how our laws differ in troubling ways from common features of inheritance laws in other countries and also notes how our laws have largely not yet adapted to unmarried partner relationships. He makes sensible recommendations about how our laws should be changed."—J. Thomas Oldham, John H. Freeman Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center