Estate Planning & Probate

This session will focus on common estate planning mistakes that we should all avoid and will cover many topics, including taking advantage of portability, using the Illinois QTIP election and properly allocating GST exemption.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will summarize the key tax and estate planning benefits that can be achieved by carefully incorporating a life insurance policy in a client’s estate plan. In addition, it will address the differences between term and permanent life insurance, determining who should be the owner and beneficiary of the life insurance policy, how best to fund a trust-owned life insurance policy, and avoiding the troublesome “transfer-for-value” rule.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will cover several important decision points concerning IRAs that most IRA owners will encounter so you can answer their questions. These will include beneficiary designations, IRA owner’s disability, investment of IRA assets in nonmarketable assets, and administering IRAs after the owner’s death.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will walk you through a checklist to ensure thoroughness in each stage of the planning process, from pre-engagement to document drafting to termination of representation, to help you avoid malpractice claims. Additionally, a Q&A session will address specific issues that arise in everyday practice.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will start with a review of the basics of revocable trusts and then delve into various revocable trust structures and provisions that attorneys should consider for their clients.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This course introduces stock-based compensation, how it works, and how it can impact trust and estate planning.

This session will review the essential provisions and important aspects of wills. Drafting considerations will also be discussed.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will deal with the art (not science!) of choosing the right client, the importance and content of engagement letters, and the client communication that most of us probably don’t do well: the conclusion of representation letter.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

This session will do a basic walk-through of the forms involved in estate planning, their purposes, and why you need to understand them.

Originally presented as part of the Estate Planning Boot Camp.

PRE-ORDER This in-depth handbook offers essential guidance on retirement benefits in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and tax-qualified plans, providing clarity on complex regulations.

Differences between simple wills that distribute outright, pour over wills to revocable trusts and wills that create and fund testamentary trusts. Originally presented as part of Fundamentals of Will Drafting 2025.

What are the standard components for a will without a trust or a pour-over will? Learn more about how to name the executor and guardians and what boilerplate to include, along with requirements of a basic testamentary trust under a will and a basic revocable trust agreement. Originally presented as part of Fundamentals of Will Drafting 2025