Trusts, Estates & Probate

VA Specific

Step-by-Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts in Virginia

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
6 hours 1 minute
Sarah McCurry
Kimberly Martin Turner
Evan Farr
Elizabeth Gray
Caitlyn Bender
Jennifer Schiffer
With Sarah L. McCurry from Winslow McCurry & MacCormac, PLLC + 5 others
Recorded May 21, 2025
Product ID 100086

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Overview

Complete With Essential Sample Forms, Tax Tactics, and Troubleshooting Solutions

Do you have all the information you need to draft customized testamentary documents for each of your clients? Don't spend years gathering precious bits of legal practice wisdom - our experienced attorney faculty are here to share their time-tested methods of identifying clients' needs and creating custom-tailored wills and trusts to fit each specific situation. This legal primer offers all the tools and sample forms to get you started. Get the fundamental skills you need to build your estate planning practice - register today!

  • Get practical will and trust drafting skills to speed up the process and give the testator's last wishes power.
  • Stave off conflicts of interest with a clear determination of who your client is from the start.
  • Learn how to deal with interested relatives who want to be present at all the planning meetings.
  • Explore the pros and cons of using a revocable living trust in the will's stead and find out when it's a better option.
  • Explore the functions and mechanics of major trust structures - and make certain you choose the right tool for each job.
  • Give each provision full power with precise word choices - get sample forms to speed up the process.
  • Make sure your remarried and unmarried clients know the default inheritance laws and help them make sure the right beneficiaries are assigned.
  • Anticipate key tax issues, including individual income tax planning and trust taxation.
  • Phrase the fiduciary and beneficiary designations to leave no room for misinterpretation.
  • Help your clients make the tough medical decisions regarding long-term care, end-of-life and organ donation.
  • Learn how to verify and document the testator's competency to close the door on any potential will contests.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Key Elements of Effective Wills
  2. Trusts as Alternatives to Wills
  3. Basic Tax Concerns
  4. Documenting Long-Term Care, Incapacity, and End-of-Life Decisions
  5. Planning for Unmarried and Remarried Couples
  6. Ethics
Product ID 100086

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in
  1. Key Elements of Effective Wills

    1. Establishing Statutory Framework
    2. Types of Wills
    3. Verifying and Documenting the Testator's Competency
    4. Beneficiary Designations in Retirement Plans and Life Insurance
    5. Pension Distributions During and After Life
    6. Titling Assets
    7. Designating Fiduciaries
    8. Planning for Disabled Children
    9. Sample Will Verbiage
    10. Sample Forms
    11. Updating Will Documents
  2. Trusts as Alternatives to Wills

    1. When to Recommend a Trust Over a Will
    2. Types and Functions of Trusts
    3. Selecting Trustee(s)
    4. Choosing Trust Situs
    5. Trust Funding Basics
    6. Sample Forms
  3. Basic Tax Concerns

    1. Get Updated on Changing Legislation and Case Law
    2. Federal Estate and Gift Tax Update
    3. Assess the Impact of the State Estate Tax
    4. Individual Income Taxes - Issues You Need to Look At
    5. Generation Skipping Transfer Tax - Recent Changes
    6. Trust Taxation Basics
    7. Disclaimer Trusts
    8. Crummey Powers and the IRS
    9. Frequently Asked Questions About Fiduciary Taxes
    10. Tips for Calculating Tax Deductions
    11. Why a Comparison to Neighboring States' Taxes is Important
  4. Documenting Long-Term Care, Incapacity, and End-of-Life Decisions

    1. Basic Medicaid Planning
    2. Long-Term Care Options and Planning in a Nutshell
    3. Advance Medical Directives
    4. Powers of Attorney
    5. DNR Orders and Organ Donation Considerations
  5. Planning for Unmarried and Remarried Couples

    1. Pre- and Post-Marital Agreements
    2. Planning for Children From Previous Marriage(s)
    3. Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples
  6. Ethics

    1. Defining Who Your Client Is From the Start
    2. Handling Clients With Diminishing Mental Capacity
    3. Lawyers Acting as Fiduciaries
    4. Conflicts of Interest

Who Should Attend

This basic level online seminar offers foundational will and trust drafting skills that will benefit:

  • Attorneys
  • Paralegals
  • Trust Officers and Personal Representatives
  • Estate Planners
  • Accountants and CPAs
  • Tax Professionals

Speakers

Sarah L McCurry
Sarah L.
McCurry
Winslow McCurry & MacCormac, PLLC
Kimberly Martin Turner
Kimberly
Martin Turner
The Law Office of Kimberly Martin Turner, PLLC
Evan H Farr
Evan H.
Farr
Farr Law Firm, P.C.
Elizabeth L Gray
Elizabeth L.
Gray
McCandlish Lillard, PC
Caitlyn M Bender
Caitlyn M.
Bender
McCandlish Lillard, PC
Jennifer O Schiffer
Jennifer O.
Schiffer
Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C.
Speaker bio
Sarah L McCurry

Sarah L. McCurry

Winslow McCurry & MacCormac, PLLC
Sarah McCurry

is a partner in the Midlothian law firm of Winslow McCurry & MacCormac, PLLC, focusing her practice on representing area small businesses and practicing trust and estates law. She earned her B.A. degree from Hendrix College and her J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ms. McCurry is admitted to practice law in Florida and in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since early 2009, she has practiced in the Richmond area and currently leads her firm's estate practice. Additionally, Ms. McCurry regularly instructs other lawyers in estate and business related topics in Virginia and nationally. She is admitted to both state and federal courts in each principality, including all Virginia General District and Circuit courts, Virginia Court of Appeals, Virginia Supreme Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Speaker bio
Kimberly Martin Turner

Kimberly Martin Turner

The Law Office of Kimberly Martin Turner, PLLC
Kimberly Martin Turner

is an attorney and principal of The Law Office of Kimberly Martin Turner, PLLC, based in Arlington, Virginia. She concentrates her practice on estate planning and trust and estate administration in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Ms. Turner drafts wills, trusts, asset agreements, and related instruments. She handles all aspects of estate and trust administration, including probate, accountings, and the preparation and review of estate and fiduciary tax returns. Ms. Turner also serves as counsel to executors and trustees and represents fiduciaries in probate courts in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Speaker bio
Evan H Farr

Evan H. Farr

Farr Law Firm, P.C.
Evan Farr

is a certified elder law attorney and member of the NAELA Council of Advanced Practitioners. He is the principal attorney of the Farr Law Firm, P.C., an elder law firm in Fairfax, Virginia dedicated to helping protect seniors and their families by preserving dignity, quality of life and financial security. A nationally renowned author and CLE speaker, Mr. Farr is well known in the field of elder law as an expert on Medicaid asset protection. He has educated tens of thousands of attorneys across the country through speaking and writing for numerous national legal organizations; including ALI-ABA, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, National Business Institute and the National Constitution Center; as well as his own Elder Law Institute for Training and Education (ELITE). Mr. Farr coaches and trains other elder law attorneys around the country, providing them with specialized software and practice-enhancement systems such as the Living Trust Plus Asset Protection System used by dozens of attorneys across the nation. He is a well-known public media figure, having been quoted or cited as an elder law expert by the Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Trusts & Estates Magazine, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Bar Association. Mr. Farr has appeared on television on various PBS stations around the country, as well as on MSNBC, Fox News and CNN. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the College of William & Mary School of Law.

Speaker bio
Elizabeth L Gray

Elizabeth L. Gray

McCandlish Lillard, PC
Elizabeth Gray

is a principal in the law firm of McCandlish Lillard, PC and has been practicing law for nearly 30 years. She is a member of the bar of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Gray focuses her practice in the areas of elder law, special needs planning, estate planning, guardianships, and the administration of estates. She has developed a reputation among her peers in the legal community as the "go to" person in the areas of elder law and special needs planning. Ms. Gray is a past-president and the 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Member award of the Virginia Chapter (VAELA) of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA); member of NAELA's invitation-only Council of Advanced Practitioners; member of the invitation-only Special Needs Alliance; and former co-chair of three different sections of the Fairfax County Bar Association: Elder Law, Wills, Trusts & Estates, and Practice Management. For consecutive years, she has been listed in Best Lawyers of America; Super Lawyers; Washingtonian Magazine's Top Lawyers; Northern Virginia Magazine's Top Lawyers; and Virginia Business Magazine's Legal Elite. She is a recipient of the Influential Women of Virginia class of 2012, and Leader in the Law class of 2020 by Virginia Lawyers Media (publisher of Virginia Lawyers Weekly). Ms. Gray has been quoted in such publications as MSN Money and The Washington Post, and has published articles and blogs on the complex area of disabled adults and special needs planning.

Speaker bio
Caitlyn M Bender

Caitlyn M. Bender

McCandlish Lillard, PC
Caitlyn Bender

is an attorney in the Leesburg office of McCandlish Lillard, PC. She practices in the areas of civil litigation, real estate, workers' compensation, family law, elder law, and estate planning. Ms. Bender earned her B.A. degree from the University of Delaware and her J.D. degree from William & Mary Law School. She is a member of the Loudoun Bar Association and Fairfax Bar Association.

Speaker bio
Jennifer O Schiffer

Jennifer O. Schiffer

Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C.
Jennifer Schiffer

is a shareholder of Bean, Kinney & Korman P.C., where she represents various businesses and their owners in matters relating to business counseling and entity formation, purchase and sale of company stock or assets, business contracts, shareholder or membership agreements, disclosure agreements, commercial real estate, commercial property, and leasing transactions. Ms. Schiffer is also well-versed in business succession planning, estate planning, and estate administration. Her clients range from individuals to a wide array of business entities, including restaurants, medical practices, retailers, builders, limited liability companies, and professional service providers, such as accountants and financial planners. Ms. Schiffer earned her bachelor's degree in economics, as well as her J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University. She is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

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Yes, the more people you bring from your organization, the more you save. After the first registration, each additional attendee receives a special discount off of their total tuition.
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The OnDemand Video will be available to stream within 14 days of live broadcast date. You will have access to the content for 6 months in your account. If you’re a subscriber, you’ll have access to your course recordings until 7 days after the expiration date of the subscription.
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