AZ Specific

Trusts, Estates & Probate

Estate Planning in Arizona: From A to Z

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 56 minutes
Anya Witmer
Thomas Murphy
Robert Hobkirk
With Anya M. Witmer from Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC + 2 others
Recorded May 29, 2025
Product ID 100090

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Overview

Get Critical Tools for Shaping Your Clients' Legacies

This no-nonsense introduction to estate planning breaks it down to its key working documents and fundamental steps. Learn how to map out asset transfers during life and distributions in probate, prepare clients for incapacity and nursing home care, and more. Whether you're just getting started or looking for a practical refresher, you'll find our expert faculty's insights helpful. Get the tools and tactics you'll need to ensure your client's estates function as intended. Register today!

  • Explore the top types of wills and trusts used in the practice, and pick the right one for each client.
  • Build Medicaid eligibility planning into your overall plans and avoid unintentional tax and creditor exposure.
  • Prevent POA abuse through wise choice of proxy and careful drafting.
  • Help clients plan for medical decision-making and diminishing capacity.
  • Plan for the tax consequences of trusts and other planning techniques and find ways to minimize the tax burden.
  • Spot common mistakes that will land you in hot water in joint representation of spouses.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Essential Will and Trust Drafting
  2. Gifts, Joint Accounts, Intervivos Transfers, LLCs, IRAs, and Annuities
  3. Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid Planning
  4. Essential Tax Tactics
  5. Financial and Medical Decision-Making, Guardianships
  6. Probate in a Nutshell: What to Expect
  7. Legal Ethics

Related Topics

Product ID 100090

Credit Details

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

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Essential Will and Trust Drafting

    1. Client Intake and Crafting the Overall Plan
    2. Wills vs. Trusts
    3. Top Trusts to Use
    4. Drafting Essential Provisions (With Sample Language)
      1. Fiduciary Powers
      2. Distributions
      3. Special Clauses

  2. Gifts, Joint Accounts, Intervivos Transfers, LLCs, IRAs, and Annuities

  3. Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid Planning

    1. Medicaid Eligibility Criteria
    2. Medicaid Planning Tools
    3. Types of Special Needs Trusts
    4. Essential SNT Provisions
    5. Preserving Benefits
    6. ABLE Accounts

  4. Essential Tax Tactics

    1. Current State and Federal Tax Rates and Exclusions
    2. Tax Tactics for Small vs. Large Estates
    3. Valuation of Assets
    4. Taxation and Tax Consequences of Trusts

  5. Financial and Medical Decision-Making, Guardianships

    1. Choosing the Right Proxies
    2. "Dangerous" Powers
    3. Adult Guardianships
    4. Medical POAs and Advance Directives

  6. Probate in a Nutshell: What to Expect

  7. Legal Ethics

    1. Who Is Your Client?
    2. Conflicts of Interest
    3. Joint Representation of Spouses
    4. Client Capacity
    5. Effective Communication
    6. Practicing Before the IRS
    7. Attorney Fees, Engagement Agreements, and Client Trust Accounts
    8. Preventing UPL

Who Should Attend

This basic level online seminar is designed for:

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

Speakers

Anya M Witmer
Anya M.
Witmer
Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC
Thomas J Murphy
Thomas J.
Murphy
Murphy Law Firm, Inc.
Robert Hobkirk
Robert
Hobkirk
Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC
Speaker bio
Anya M Witmer

Anya M. Witmer

Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC
Anya Witmer

is an attorney at Dyer Bregman Ferris Wong & Carter, PLLC, where she practices estate planning, probate administration, and trust formation and administration matters. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Arizona State University and was a NALA certified paralegal prior to law school. Ms. Witmer then received her Juris Doctor degree from California Western Law School in San Diego, California, where she graduated, cum laude, and received an Academic Excellence Award for her research and writing on cryptocurrency in estate planning and probate. She is a member of WealthCounsel, the State Bar of Arizona (Probate and Trust Section), Maricopa County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association (Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section). Ms. Witmer is admitted to practice law in Arizona and California.

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Speaker bio
Thomas J Murphy

Thomas J. Murphy

Murphy Law Firm, Inc.
Thomas Murphy

is an attorney located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix. His practice emphasizes estate planning, elder law (including nursing home issues), all probate matters (including contested matters and guardianships), and tax controversies. Mr. Murphy has regularly appeared before the Arizona Court of Appeals, litigating many of the cutting-edge appellate cases in probate law. He has successfully litigated cases in the U.S. Tax Court, Arizona Tax Court, and Arizona Board of Tax Appeals. Mr. Murphy is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, State Bar of Arizona (Tax Law, Probate and Trust Law, Mental Health and Elder Law sections), and the Arizona Medicaid Planning Council. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Phoenix Tax Workshop and the Editorial Board of NAELA News. Mr. Murphy graduated from Tufts University, with honors, and earned his J.D. degree from Suffolk University Law School.

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Speaker bio
Robert Hobkirk

Robert Hobkirk

Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC
Robert Hobkirk

is a partner at the law office of Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC. He represents clients in legal matters involving trusts and estates, wills, probate law, and estate litigation, among other areas. Mr. Hobkirk has devoted his entire legal career to estate planning issues. He received his undergraduate degree from Siena College and his J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University. Mr. Hobkirk is licensed to practice law in Arizona, New York and Connecticut. He is a member of the Maricopa County Bar Association and the Trusts and Estates section, and has also participated in Mediation Programs. In his work with the community, Mr. Hobkirk has served on various nonprofit organizations and is a member of various Chambers of Commerce.

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In the unlikely event that NBI cancels or reschedules an upcoming program, each registered attendee will be contacted via email by a representative of NBI. Outreach to attendees begins as soon as NBI is made aware that a program will not move forward at its originally scheduled date and time.
Are multiple attendee discounts available?
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.
When will the OnDemand be available and how long will I have access to the content?
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.
What is included with my course purchase?
When you enroll prior to the live event date you will receive access to the live-streaming webinar which will allow you to interact with faculty in real-time. With each course, you will receive access to the content via OnDemand Streaming and the Video Download. Course reference materials are included with each course purchase in a downloadable PDF format.
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Yes, we'll email you a certificate of completion and store in your account for any future reporting needs.
Can multiple people watch courses and request credit?
While only paid registrants can receive continuing education credit for attending, there are no limitations to the number of viewers at each connection.

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