Illinois Estate Administration From Start to Finish

IL Specific

Trusts, Estates & Probate

New Release!

Illinois Estate Administration From Start to Finish

Credits Available

Credit	Status	Total	Until
Illinois CLE	Approved	6.5 Total	05-17-2028
Missouri CLE	Approved	6 Total	05-19-2028

OnDemand

6 hours 35 minutes

With Sandra D. Mertens from Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC + 4 others

Recorded May 19, 2026.

Product ID 101797

Overview

A Comprehensive Step-By-Step Guide to Estate Administration

Whether you're new to estate administration or need a basic refresher, this course will provide you with a comprehensive overview of estate administration, including proper asset valuation and distribution, taxation, and account closing procedures. You'll also learn how to correctly deal with thorny estate administration debt issues, including jointly held assets, business ownership and complex tax issues. Equip yourself with real-life, practical knowledge to ensure you are fully prepared to handle the entire estate administration process from start to finish - register today!

Learn how to meet every deadline, follow procedures, and complete essential forms.
Identify key estate administration pitfalls you need to avoid.
Come away with helpful forms, sample documents, and checklists to assist in the process.
Acquire strategies to ensure you can help your clients through every step of the probate process.
Manage your client's entire estate administration procedures properly and effectively.
Learn how to tackle complex estate administration issues such as tax issues, jointly held assets, and will contests.
Understand how to properly transfer and distribute assets.
Explore proper procedures and processes when dealing with insurance claims and debt during estate administration.
Gain a better understanding of the probate court's procedures so that you can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
Get the latest information on allowances and elections against the will.
Identify how to properly distribute assets to minors, surviving spouses and trusts.

Abbreviated Agenda

Commencement of Proceedings and Information Gathering
Initial Steps to the Estate Administration Process
Marshalling Assets
Handling Creditor Claims and Debt
Complex Issues in Estate Administration
Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues
Distribution and Closing of the Estate
Ethics and Estate Administration

Agenda

All times are shown in

Commencement of Proceedings and Information Gathering
1. Appointment of Estate Administration
  1. Formal vs. Informal Proceedings
  2. Sample Letters of Authority
2. First Meeting With Family or Designated Personal Representative and Determination of Heirs
3. Written Fee Agreements
4. Tips to Locate Information Quickly Using Online and Government Resources
5. Dealing with Multiple States
Initial Steps to the Estate Administration Process
1. Understanding the Laws of Intestacy
2. Sample Estate Administration Checklists, Forms and Required Notices Needed
3. Interpreting Provisions and Terms of Art Found in Wills
4. Using Disclaimers Correctly
Marshalling Assets
1. Procedures to Locating and Marshalling Probate and Non-Probate Assets
  1. Safe Deposit Boxes and Bank Accounts
  2. Real Estate
  3. Brokerage Accounts, 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
2. Sample Forms and Documents Needed
3. Appraisers and Valuing the Property of Probate Estates
Handling Creditor Claims and Debt
1. Sample Forms and Required Notices Needed
2. Priority and Payment of Claims
3. Late Claims and Contested Claims
4. Steps to Ensure all Debt is Located and Handled Correctly
  1. What if the Assets Don't Cover the Bills?
  2. Bankruptcy and Foreclosure
5. Selling of Assets and Properly Dealing with Creditors
Complex Issues in Estate Administration
1. Jointly Held Assets
2. Spousal Claims
  1. Allowances and Elections Against the Will
3. Handling Unmarried Couples and Stepchildren
4. Will Contests, Trust and Estate Disputes
5. Business Ownership
6. Agency Problems Involving Guardianships, Conservatorships, Powers of Attorney or Other Agency Relationships
Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues
1. Examples of Forms Needed
2. Federal and State Estate Tax Considerations
3. Income Tax Issues for the Estate and the Heirs
4. Resolving Disputes With Taxing Authorities
5. Deductions and Exemptions
6. How the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Affects Your Clients
7. Tax Deadlines and Handling Extensions
8. Sales of Real Property
Distribution and Closing of the Estate
1. Sample Forms, Agreements and Documents Needed
2. Proper Transferring and Distribution of Probate and Non-Probate Assets and Timing of Distributions
  1. Real Estate
  2. 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
  3. Distribution of Miscellaneous Assets (Automobiles, Jewelry, Etc.)
3. Distributions in Kind
4. Distribution to Minors, Surviving Spouse and Trusts
5. Disposition of Unclaimed Assets
6. Proper Settlement of the Estate
  1. Formal and Informal Estate Accountings
  2. Choosing the Appropriate Closing Procedure
  3. Compensation and Discharge of the Personal Representative
Ethics and Estate Administration
1. Breach of Fiduciary Responsibility
2. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
3. Attorney-Client Privilege
4. Fee Agreements

Who Should Attend

This basic level online seminar is designed for professionals who want to be more effective in the estate administration process, such as:

Attorneys
CPAs and Accountants
Paralegals
Wealth Managers
Tax Professionals
Trust Officers

Speakers

Sandra D.

Mertens

Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC

Andrew

Willis

Leahu Law Group

Jennifer L.

Guimond-Quigley

Law Office of Jennifer Guimond-Quigley

George C.

Hupp, III

Burton, Fuller & Associates, P.C.

Amanda M.

Zannoni

Levun, Goodman, & Cohen, LLP

Speaker bio

Sandra D. Mertens

Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC

Sandra Mertens

is a partner in the law firm of Shoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC in Chicago, Illinois, where she is known for her diverse skill set, practicing in the areas of federal and state tax controversy and consulting, offshore account and FinCEN disclosures, estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, and general business law. Ms. Mertens has negotiated many tax resolutions with the IRS and Illinois Department of Revenue, reducing her clients' overall tax liabilities and helping them lower their monthly payment. She has been published in several periodicals including Debits and Credits, a newsletter by the Independent Accountants Association of Illinois. She is presently the newsletter editor of the ISBA’s Federal Taxation Committee and sits on the Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board. Ms. Mertens is also a member of the CBA's State and Local Tax Committee, and has lectured and prepared seminar materials for accountant and attorney education on a variety of topics, including offers in compromise, trust fund recovery penalties, IRS Voluntary Classification Settlement Program for workers, foreign reporting requirements, and the IRS' Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program and compliance procedures. In addition, she assists large and small businesses with all stages of their business, from formation of an entity to contracts to employee issues, and dissolution. Ms. Mertens earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Trinity International University and her J.D. degree, with honors, from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. She is admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, United States Bankruptcy Court and United States Tax Court. Ms. Mertens has also been admitted pro hac vice in several state and federal courts.

View full profile

TOP FAQs

How do I access my courses?

Courses are available within your account. Simply login to your account and click on My Courses. If you require additional assistance please call our Customer Service Department at 800-930-6182.

Do you have options for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing?

Closed captioning is available for all Live Webinars. After you've joined the event room, you can enable closed captioning by clicking the "cc" button in the lower right of the player.

What happens if my course is cancelled?

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 7 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.

Have more questions? Please Contact Us

Looking for Ethics and Specialty CLE Courses?

Training That Works as Hard as You Do

Individual CLE Pass

Team Training Solutions