Upcoming Live Courses

Drafting and Designing Revocable Trusts – Next Trust Seminar: 

  • San Jose – “Drafting and Designing Revocable Trusts”  January 19, 20, 21 – 55 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose.

We are honored to have 7 very experienced estate planners lined up to teach this class:

About the Class – This is a three day, intensive 20 hour CLE course with emphasis on revocable trust practical drafting instruction and analysis of case studies & sample provisions. Experienced practitioners provide guidance for each step in the estate planning process from pre-engagement to drafting to execution of final documents to termination of representation. Register for this course here.

SAMPLE AGENDA

DAY ONE:

PRELIMINARY MATTERS – (8:30 am – 11 am)

  • Gathering Information: Strategies
  • Engagement Letters/Fees
  • Ethical Considerations and Conflicts
  • Capacity Issues
  • Pre-Drafting Checklist
  • Internal Office Procedures
  • Selecting an Appropriate Vehicle
  • Revocable Trust: Why and When?

NUTS AND BOLTS OF DRAFTING – PART ONE (11:15 am – Noon) lunch break

(1 pm- 2:30 pm)

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  • Statutory Requirements and Elements of a Good Dispositive Document
  • An Introduction to Drafting: General Principles, Boiler Plate and Use of Forms
  • Importance of Characterizing Property
  • Clauses Effective During Lifetime of Settlor(s)
  • Administrative Clauses
  • Building Flexibility into the Plan

NUTS AND BOLTS OF DRAFTING – PART TWO  (2:45 pm- 5 pm)

  • Fiduciary Provisions
  • Contingent Clauses For Children and Grandchildren
  • Clauses for Minors, Incompetent Persons, Special Needs, Spendthrifts
  • Disposing Provisions: Specific and Residual
  • No-Contest and Disinheritance Clauses

DAY TWO:

APPLICABLE EXCLUSION AMOUNT, PORTABILITY and SUB-TRUST PLANNING (8:30 am – 11 am)

  • Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Trusts
  • Introduction to Transfer Taxes and the Gross Estate
  • Overview of Gift Taxation
  • Portability
  • Understanding and Drafting For the Marital Deduction

PLANNING FOR MARRIED CLIENTS – (11:15 am – noon) lunch break (1 pm – 2:30 pm)

  • Disclaimer Trusts
  • Forms of Marital and Family Trusts
  • Combined Marital Trust/Bypass Trust Planning
  • Using Q-TIPS
  • Tax Apportionment Clauses

PLANNING FOR SINGLE CLIENTS and SMALLER ESTATES, POUR-OVER WILLS (2:45 pm – 5 pm)

  • Considerations When Planning Smaller Estates
  • Widows, Widowers and Divorced Clients
  • Unmarried Clients
  • Pour – Over Wills – Standard Clauses
    • Guardianship
    • Executor Powers
  • Coordinating Will Provisions With Other Estate Planning Documents
  • Coordinating Life Insurance and IRA Designations

DAY THREE:

SELECTING PROPERTY TO FUND THE TRUST, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES – (8:30 am – 11 am)

  • Mechanics of Trust Funding
  • Selecting Trust Assets
  • Disposing of Tangible Personal Property
  • Special Provisions For Real Estate
  • Certifications of Trust
  • Drafting Durable Powers of Attorney
  • Advance Health Care Directives

CASE STUDIES (11:15 am – noon)  lunch break   (1 pm – 5:00 pm)