How can a Fee Tail be defeated or abolished in most states?

A Fee Tail is a type of estate that restricts the inheritance of property to a specific line of heirs, thus limiting how the property can be transferred. In most states, the traditional Fee Tail has been largely abolished due to its restrictive nature and the potential for creating inheritance complications.

The correct understanding is that almost all states have enacted statutes or legal frameworks that provide means to defeat or abolish a Fee Tail. This can be done through various methods, including converting the estate to a fee simple, allowing for more flexibility in how the property can be transferred or inherited.

Consequently, the overall shift in legal standards recognizes the need for property to be freely transferable and to avoid the issues that can arise with the rigid parameters of a Fee Tail. This recognition and subsequent legal reform in many jurisdictions have dismantled these antiquated restrictions, reflecting a broader trend towards more liberal and practical forms of property ownership and inheritance.