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Overview
Handling Probate From Initial Notices Through the Estate Closing
This "a through z" guide to probate is designed to take you from the first days of the estate timeline through all the steps of marshaling and valuing estate assets, locating and paying the creditors, paying the beneficiaries, and laying the estate to rest. You will receive the latest updates on the probate court procedure and tax laws, practical guidance from experienced probate attorneys on using spousal elective share and resolving estate disputes, and sample forms and checklists to speed up the administration process. Build a solid foundation for your probate practice - register today!
- Learn the procedure, rules and practical steps to effectively administer a probate.
- Determine what form of administration is appropriate for a specific probate case.
- Clarify the order of inheritance for an estate when there is no will.
- Locate assets and obtain ownership documents more easily with a list of local and online resources.
- Get a complete view of the sequence of events that must happen before the estate can be closed.
- Identify common actions that trigger malpractice liability and get tips for staying in the clear.
- Get practical advice for honoring or contesting all claims against the estate.
- Find new ways to resolve liquidity issues that delay estate closing and final distributions and payments.
Abbreviated Agenda
- Initial Filing in Probate Court and Estate Timeline
- Law of Intestate Succession
- Probate Property vs. Non-Probate Assets
- Inventory and Appraisement
- Sale of Property and Distributions
- Ethics
- Probate Disputes and Litigation
- Handling Claims Against the Estate
Credit Details
Credits Available
| Credit | Status | Total | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia CLE |
|
6 Total | 10-31-2026 |
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Agenda
-
Initial Filing in Probate Court and Estate Timeline
- When is Probate Necessary?
- Small Estate Administration
- Probate Procedure
- Full Probate vs. Abbreviated Probate
- Opening the Estate
- Tax Identification Number for Estate
- Estate Checking Account
- Required Notices
- Sample Forms
- Estate Timetable/Checklist
- What the Personal Representative Needs to Know
- When is Ancillary Administration Necessary?
-
Law of Intestate Succession
- Who Can Inherit - Degrees of Kinship and Order of Inheritance
- Determining the Share Size
- Exceptions and Bars to Inheritance
-
Probate Property vs. Non-Probate Assets
-
Inventory and Appraisement
- Locating Insurance Policies, Deeds and Other Ownership Documents
- Obtaining a Tax ID and Marshaling Property
- Preparing the Inventory and Appraisal Forms
- Dealing With the Probate Referee
- Managing Decedent's Assets During Probate
- Handling Common Valuation Issues
- When to Hire a Valuation Specialist or Appraiser
-
Sale of Property and Distributions
- Disposition of Real Estate - Title Issues in Probate
- Retirement Plans and IRA Distributions
- Life Insurance and Other Beneficiary Designations and Accounts
- Preliminary and Final Distributions
- Calculating Augmented Estate and Spousal Elective Share
- Dealing With the Surviving Family Members and Other Beneficiaries
- Solving the Problem of Liquidity
- Distributions to Trusts
- Final Accounting and Estate Closing
-
Ethics
- Who is Your Client? Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
- Protecting Client Confidentiality
- Attorney Fees
- Malpractice Liability Risks
- Negligence
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty
- Fraud
-
Probate Disputes and Litigation
- Beneficiary Liability
- Fiduciary Liability
- Interpreting Testamentary Intent - Burdens of Proof, Presumptions, Evidence Rules
- Revoked, Multiple, Contested Wills
- Common Will Construction Problems
- Objections to Accounts and Petitions
-
Handling Claims Against the Estate
- Required Creditor Notice
- Determining Priority of Claims
- Allowing and Rejecting Claims, and Paying Them
- Handling Lawsuits Against the Estate and the Decedent
- Insolvency Issues
Who Should Attend
This basic level online seminar is designed for professionals who want to be more effective in handling the probate process, including:
- Attorneys
- Paralegals
- CPAs and Accountants
- Financial Planners and Wealth Managers
- Trust Officers
Speakers
Speaker bio
Anders Sleight
is of principal at Offit Kurman, Attorneys At Law. He is an experienced trial attorney and litigator with more than thirteen years' experience and a knack for helping clients reach efficient resolutions. An experienced commercial litigator, Mr. Sleight focuses his practice on advising and representing small businesses, banks, credit unions, servicers, property owners, agencies and individuals in litigation matters throughout Virginia and the District of Columbia. He knows that litigation is expensive, time consuming and rarely arises at a good time for businesses and organizations. Accordingly, Mr. Sleight draws on his experience with local practices and judges to seek efficient, fair and just resolutions for clients. He routinely represents and advises clients regarding real estate matters, including buy/sell/lease transactions, title disputes, easements, landlord/tenant and eminent domain/condemnation actions. Mr. Sleight has represented the Virginia Department of Transportation, property owners, beneficiaries, landlords, property managers, buyers and realtors. As a Virginia native and real estate enthusiast, he understands the complex and ever-changing issues that can arise in the real estate marketplace. Mr. Sleight earned his B.A. degree from University of Virginia and his J.D. degree from George Mason University.
Speaker bio
Heather L. Sunderman
is a partner at McMillan Metro and Faerber, P.C., where she focuses on the areas of wills, trusts, estate planning, probate, guardianships and family law. In addition, she is trained as a mediator and collaborative law practitioner. Ms. Sunderman has been appointed by courts to represent disabled persons in guardianship matters, and children in contested custody matters. She has litigated cases in many different areas of the law including divorce, guardianships, domestic violence and civil disputes. Ms. Sunderman earned her bachelor's degree from Allegheny College and her J.D. degree from Washington College of Law (American University). She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Speaker bio
Jennifer O. 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.
Speaker bio
Kathryn C. Swain
is an attorney with McCandlish Lillard, PC, practicing in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, elder law, and guardianships/conservatorships. She received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University, where she began developing oral advocacy skills through the university's Moot Court Association. Ms. Swain went on to earn her law degree from George Mason University School of Law, where she served as an articles editor of the George Mason Law Review and the Vice Justice of the Moot Court Board. While at George Mason, she also furthered her passion for legal writing through teaching classes to first-year students as a legal writing fellow. She is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and Fairfax Bar Association, and a board member Fairfax Bar Association Young Lawyers Section. Ms. Swain is admitted to practice in Virginia.
Speaker bio
Thomas W. Repczynski
is a principal and shareholder at Offit Kurman, Attorneys At Law, focused on developing and expanding the firm's estates and trusts litigation practice area. His clients are a broad array of individuals, non-profit boards and associations, business owner and both foreign and domestic corporations. Founded upon many years of landlord representation and decades of bankruptcy work, Mr. Repczynski's practice prioritizes general commercial business disputes, commercial real estate and creditors' rights enforcement litigation while emphasizing inheritance-related matters including trial court, probate and commissioner proceedings, and appeals involving will, trust, and insurance beneficiaries, estate personal representatives (executors and administrators), trustees, guardians, and attorneys-in-fact under powers of attorney. His typical fiduciary cases involve undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, incapacity and will dispute claims. Mr. Repczynski earned his A.B. degree from Dartmouth College and his J.D. degree from George Mason University Law School. He is a past president of both the Fairfax Bar Association and Northern Virginia Bankruptcy Bar Association. Mr. Repczynski has chaired Architectural Review Boards for multiple communities (VA and NC) and served as committee chairman for Boy Scout Troop 688. He clerked for the Office of the Independent Counsel (Starr) and interned both at the Department of Justice and for the Honorable Christine Odell Cook Miller, U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Repczynski is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
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