Estate Planning & Probate

This resource helps estate-planning attorneys structure and draft irrevocable life insurance trusts and includes 16 forms that can be tailored to clients’ needs.

This course addresses the issues faced by attorneys when they are required to obtain court approval of a settlement involving a minor. The presentation will cover the interplay between common law, local court rules, and the Probate Act.

This course addresses the issues faced by attorneys when they are required to obtain court approval of a settlement on behalf of personal injury client who has died or in Wrongful Death Act case. The presentation will cover the interplay between the Wrongful Death Act, Survival Statute, and Probate Act.

Are you liable when you discover a client has completed a fraudulent transfer? What are your duties and obligations? Knowing what to do in these situations without violating the attorney/client privilege can be tricky at best. In this informative presentation receive clear instruction on how to handle difficult situations in asset protection planning. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

Despite a growing number of onshore alternatives, offshore planning remains at the pinnacle of creditor protection. Learn why this is so. Learn how offshore asset protection trusts are integrated into a structure and the mechanics of triggering the protections afforded. We will explore how various assets may fit into the planning structure and how an integrated connection to domestic estate planning can significantly add to overall flexibility and achievement of domestic planning goals. Learn what offshore banks now require for KYC due diligence. We will also reveal tips learned to identify nefarious actors now becoming more prevalent than ever and what a legal advisor should consider as part of their due diligence when assessing potential clients. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

Explore the strategic use of GRATs to efficiently transfer wealth and minimize taxes for clients. This session will delve into the mechanics of GRATs, their tax implications, and advanced strategies to enhance their effectiveness. Key risks, recent regulatory developments, and best practices for advising clients on GRATs will also be covered. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

Third party created irrevocable trusts are not all created equal in protecting from creditors of a beneficiary.  Distribution standards matter.  Taxation matters.  Most consider a completely discretionary trust to be the gold standard, superior to those with ascertainable standards or other forced distributions.  But after a grantor dies, these designs either trap income in trust and force the trust to pay tax at highly compressed rates, or force distributions out of the trust.  A beneficiary income accumulation trust (BIAT®), sometimes referred to generically as a beneficiary deemed owner trust (BDOT), allows the trust to grow tax-free by shifting the income tax burden to the beneficiary without having to take funds out of the protective wrapper of the trust, which greatly enhances the “tax burn” for GST exempt trusts and the overall asset protection for the beneficiary in the long-term, especially when designed with appropriately crafted trust protector, cessor and forfeiture clauses. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

The do’s and don’ts of trust drafting . . . including uses of powers of appointment, spendthrift clauses, and jurisdictional provisions . . . with forms. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

Asset protection planning can benefit a wide range of clients, particularly those with significant assets. High-risk professions such as physicians, surgeons, lawyers, accountants, real estate developers, business owners, and corporate executives often require robust asset protection strategies. With increasing accumulation of wealth comes increasing concern about losing that wealth. As a result, the emphasis on asset protection has increased over the past twenty years. Originally presented as part of Advanced Asset Protection Planning.

Ideal for attorneys looking to refine their will drafting skills, this workshop provides practical tools for confidently managing client meetings and creating effective wills.

This comprehensive handbook offers Illinois practitioners practical advice and essential insights on navigating probate actions and ensuring effective representation in estate administration and litigation.

This course provides a broad overview of Illinois land trust law and administration. It includes legislative and case law updates.