Estate Planning Fundamentals for Beginners

This comprehensive course is designed for beginning estate planning attorneys. The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of topics essential for beginner estate planners, including the basic principles of estate and trust law, the analysis and application of wills, trusts, health care directives, powers of attorney, and other crucial estate planning documents. Participants will also explore the tax implications of estate planning, strategies for asset protection, and the ethical considerations involved in advising clients and drafting estate plans.

By the end of this course, participants will understand the theoretical aspects of estate planning but will also be equipped with the practical skills necessary to explain fundamental estate planning strategies to clients and to draft their estate plans. Our goal is to provide tools and knowledge to participants so that they can confidently navigate the fundamentals of estate planning. While the topics discussed can be generally applied to various jurisdictions, the primary focus will be in New York State Law.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Empower beginning attorneys or attorneys who want to add estate planning to their list of client services
2. Discuss the three primary focus areas in basic estate planning (distribution of assets, estate tax basics, and Medicaid asset protection considerations), estate planning documents, and tangent estate planning documents
3. Analyze best practices for estate planning with respect to client intake, questions to elicit an estate planning discussion, representing spouses, involvement of children, drafting systems, and pricing considerations