Buy This Course
OnDemand Video
Video Download
Course Book Download
or
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
- Essential Will and Trust Drafting
- Gifts, Joint Accounts, Intervivos Transfers, LLCs, IRAs, and Annuities
- Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid Planning
- Essential Tax Tactics
- Financial and Medical Decision-Making, Guardianships
- Probate in a Nutshell: What to Expect
- Legal Ethics
Credit Details
Credits Available
| Credit | Status | Total | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida CLE |
|
7 Total | 02-28-2027 |
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Agenda
-
Essential Will and Trust Drafting
- Client Intake and Crafting the Overall Plan
- Wills vs. Trusts
- Top Trusts to Use
- Drafting Essential Provisions (With Sample Language)
- Fiduciary Powers
- Distributions
- Special Clauses
-
Gifts, Joint Accounts, Intervivos Transfers, LLCs, IRAs, and Annuities
-
Special Needs Trusts and Medicaid Planning
- Medicaid Eligibility Criteria
- Medicaid Planning Tools
- Types of Special Needs Trusts
- Essential SNT Provisions
- Preserving Benefits
- ABLE Accounts
-
Essential Tax Tactics
- Current State and Federal Tax Rates and Exclusions
- Tax Tactics for Small vs. Large Estates
- Valuation of Assets
- Taxation and Tax Consequences of Trusts
-
Financial and Medical Decision-Making, Guardianships
- Choosing the Right Proxies
- "Dangerous" Powers
- Adult Guardianships
- Medical POAs and Advance Directives
-
Probate in a Nutshell: What to Expect
-
Legal Ethics
- Who Is Your Client?
- Conflicts of Interest
- Joint Representation of Spouses
- Client Capacity
- Effective Communication
- Practicing Before the IRS
- Attorney Fees, Engagement Agreements, and Client Trust Accounts
- 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
Speaker bio
Rhonda D. Steller
is the manager at Medicaid Planning & Resource Center, Law Firm, PLLC in Leesburg, Florida. She has been a Medicaid planner for over 19 years.
Speaker bio
Michael C. Norvell
graduated from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin School of Law in 1976 and was admitted to The Florida Bar in November of 1976. Prior to entering law school, he served in the US Army from 1965-1967 where he was part of the Army Engineer Field Unit of the Ethiopia - U.S. Mapping Mission. This mission was the last ground mapping of an entire country ever undertaken. Mr. Norvell's practice has transitioned to late life issues, such a guardianship, Medicaid planning, trust and probate administration, and litigation. He has been working in the area for over 40 years and has two practices in the Leesburg area, with one office dedicated to the sole practice of Medicaid planning. Mr. Norvell is a member of the University of Florida President's Council.
Speaker bio
Barbara A. Simanek
is a partner at K&L Gates LLP. She is a partner in the firm's private client, trusts and estates practice area with a focus on estate and trust law. Ms. Simanek currently serves as the practice group coordinator for the private clients, trusts and estates practice group, with members spread across the globe. She handles all aspects of estate planning and settlement, including the interaction between employee benefits and an individual's estate. Ms. Simanek counsels clients on tax planning, business succession planning, and elder law issues, and administers large estates. One aspect of her practice includes analyzing the impact of, and implementing, estate planning strategies such as QPRTs, GRATs, multigenerational trusts, disclaimers, transfer of stock options, family limited partnerships, and split dollar arrangements. Ms. Simanek drafts documents associated with such strategies, as well as wills and a variety of trusts, including credit shelter trusts, revocable trusts, irrevocable "Crummey" trusts, defective grantor trusts, and Florida "flite" trusts. She has devoted a portion of her practice to integrating retirement plan assets into an estate plan and focusing on elder law issues. Ms. Simanek earned her B.A degree, cum laude, from Smith College; her M.B.A degree from University of Pittsburgh; and her J.D degree, cum laude, from Duquesne University School of Law.
Speaker bio
Katherine Lewis, MBA, CPA, CTFA, ESQ
, is president of Tax Aces LLC. She is a licensed CPA and Lawyer in both Minnesota and Florida and has more than 30 years of tax and business experience. Ms. Lewis started her career in the tax department at the Big 8 CPA Firm, Ernst & Young. She then spent almost 20 years employed by the preeminent legal, business & regulatory information publisher, West Publishing that was later acquired by Thomson Reuters where she was consistently recognized as a top 1% leader of its sales & business executives. Ms. Lewis also worked several years at the community bank, United Southern Bank as a Vice President & Trust Officer with over 100 clients and assets over $200M. She is an IRS credentialed agent and Tax Attorney representing clients in all tax matters before the IRS and US Tax Court and is also a Certified Trust & Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA). Ms. Lewis earned her B.S. degree, cum laude, from University of Minnesota, her J.D. degree, cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law, and her MBA degree, summa cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University.
Speaker bio
Aislynn Thomas-McDonald
is the founder and managing attorney of Kelley Kronenberg. She focuses her practice in the areas of family law, trial and appellate practice, divorce, child custody/time-sharing, marital agreements, adoption and surrogacy law, collaborative divorce/family law (Certified Training Completed March 2017), probate administration and litigation, wills and trusts, guardianship and elder law, and family mediation. Ms. McDonald is a member of various professional organizations, some include the Dade County Bar Association, Monroe County Bar Association, Duval County Bar Association, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, and the Dean's Alumni Circle, FIU College of Law. She earned her B.A. degree from American University of Paris, her M.S. degree from Mississippi College and her J.D. degree from Florida International University.
Speaker bio
Jeanette Mora
is an attorney at Estate & Elder Law Counsel, P.A., specializing in estate planning, probate, and elder law. She is passionate about giving back to her community and regularly volunteers her time as a guardian ad litem advocate, Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association and Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida. Ms. Mora earned her J.D. degree from Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. She is a member of several professional associations and committees, including the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law section of The Florida Bar, for which she was selected as a fellow 2022-2024; Hispanic American Professional Businesswomen Association; Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers; Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida; and Junior League of Greater Orlando, where she serves as co-vice chair of the Local Advocacy Committee. Ms. Mora also serves as chair of the Orange County Bar Association Elder Law Committee and co-chair of the Estate, Guardianship and Trust Committee. She is admitted to practice law in Florida.
TOP FAQs
How do I access my courses?
Do you have options for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing?
What happens if my course is cancelled?
Are multiple attendee discounts available?
When will the OnDemand be available and how long will I have access to the content?
What is included with my course purchase?
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Can multiple people watch courses and request credit?
Have more questions? Please Contact Us
