An Associate's Guide to Estate Planning

This course, led by attorney Jill Miller, is designed to provide a solid understanding on the basics of estate planning to attorneys and legal professionals entering the trusts and estates field, attorneys seeking a review of estate planning concepts, and those wishing to gain a detailed overview of the field.

Ms. Miller will begin with a discussion of the typical documents that make up a client's estate plan with a description of the uses of each of the documents and practical pointers in their drafting. She will address the two methods of passing property at death and how these two methods affect a client's estate plan and can create pitfalls for the unwary. Intestacy laws will also be discussed, as well as the creation of an estate tax efficient plan, the typical trusts utilized, factors affecting the design of such trusts, and the review of important non-tax issues that the practitioner should consider in the preparation of a client's estate plan. Lastly, the course will focus on the integration of all the issues, concerns and factors in a client's estate plan and how the lawyer can add value by anticipating issues for the client.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the typical documents that make up an estate plan
2. Discuss two methods of passing property at death & how they affect estate planning
3. How to design a tax efficient plan
4. Anticipate issues and add value to clients