There is no uniform approach to teaching equity and trusts in Australian law schools. The reality of semesterisation has meant that the old full-year equity and trusts subject is now only a memory dimly recalled by elderly equity teachers in their anecdotage. This introductory text is designed for students enrolled in LLB and JD degrees taking semesterised and trimesterised equity and trusts units. This book does not attempt to cover all of the possible examples of equitable doctrine in our legal system. Instead, we have focused only on those topics we regard as essential to a foundational understanding of equity and trusts, required for the purpose of obtaining professional qualification.

The book should be read in conjunction with its companion website, at www.cambridge.edu.au/academic/equity. The website contains detailed analysis of specific equity and trusts principles which are outlined in the text, suggestions for further reading and investigation, academic analysis of controversial areas of doctrine and practice, and practice problems and guidelines to answers to assist students with exam preparation. The website will be updated regularly. Students who are ambitious to do well should acquire the habit of consulting the website once they have absorbed the material in the text.