Excellent Basic CLE Course in Wills, Trusts, and Probate

The following is a description of the Building Blocks of Wills, Trusts and Probate 2006 course sponsored by the State Bar of Texas:

This popular seminar is for practitioners who are interested in wills, estates and probate administration, but who do not practice exclusively in those areas. This seminar provides practical tips and useful information you and your support staff.

You’ll learn about:

• Basic Estate Planning:  Fee agreements, wayward clients, joint representation, community property, simple wills, ancillary documents, coordinating non-probate assets, life insurance, retirement, annuities, rights of survivorship, document storage
   
• Elder Law Planning & Issue Spotting:  Defining elder law, discerning client needs, medicare basics, Medicaid planning, using trusts in public benefits, planning, estate recovery, Medicare part D, legislative changes in Medicaid, case studies
   
• Office Technology & Administration:  Document assembly products and practices, working with (& without) support staff, paperless office strategies, software & products recommendations, Internet resources
     
• Probate Procedures & Alternatives:  Who do you represent?, probate procedures & Will filing, independent & dependent administrations, alternatives to probate, lost will problems, family settlement agreements, qualification & removal of personal representatives, inventories & other filing requirements, family allowances & exempt property, creditors, will contests
     
• Administration Issues:  Duties of personal representatives, collection of assets, filing requirements & deadlines, preparing inventories, dealing with beneficiaries, rights, distribution, disclaimers, receipts & releases, funding issues, closing the estate