Recorded Event: 58th Annual Program: Short Course on Estate Planning
Recorded Event
TX MCLE Credit Available
ILT: +1.972.244.3410
Fax: +1.972.244.3401
E-Mail: ccle@cailaw.org
Overview
Missed our conference January 25-27, 2023 in Plano, the 58th Annual Program: Short Course on Estate Planning? The presentations were recorded and will be made available to view online for a limited time!
- This recorded program consists of three intense days of lectures—this is a deep dive, not a forms course!
- Under the leadership of Mike Bourland and Darin Digby, and featuring a stellar faculty, this annual program explores practical legal issues that confront estate planners.
- Designed for the new lawyer, CPA, financial planner, and trust officer whose primary career focus requires a thorough knowledge of complex estate and tax planning, it is also a great program for experienced lawyers wanting a refresher on planning for taxable estates.
- Texas CLE available!
Details for connecting to the recorded program will be sent shortly after you register. Please allow 1 business day to process your registration. If you registered but did not receive a link, please email CCLE.
Before registering for the Recorded Program, please read this note:
Thank you for your interest in our Recorded Program on Estate Planning. The recordings are from our 58th Annual Program: Short Course on Estate Planning; it was offered as an in-person conference January 25-27, 2023. You should understand that some of the law, rules, and cases discussed in the Program and Program materials may have been modified or even overruled by now. The course, like all CLE programs, should not be used as a basis for legal advice without doing the research yourself.
! Note that only Texas CLE credit is available and that accreditation for this course will expire. You must complete the course and report your MCLE credit to the State Bar of Texas on or before January 31, 2024 to receive credit.
Conference Co-Chairs

Michael V. Bourland
Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.

Darin N. Digby
Schoenbaum, Curphy & Scanlan, P.C.
Faculty

Stephen R. Akers
Bessemer Trust Company

Dr. Gerry W. Beyer
Texas Tech University School of Law

Kristin L. Brown
Davis Stephenson PLLC

Mickey R. Davis
Davis & Willms, PLLC

Assistant Professor Eric Reis
UNT Dallas College of Law

John K. Round
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Megan C. Sanders
Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C.

Melissa J. Willms
Davis & Willms, PLLC
Tuition
Recorded Program Fee – Includes online access to the program materials and videos.
Multiple Registrants from the same organization: Please contact Krishonne for special pricing for tuition levels $650 and higher - kjohnson@cailaw.org or 972.244.3403.
- $1100- Regular Registration Fee
- $850 – Full-time U.S. Government Employee
- $850 – Full-time U.S. Non-Profit Employee
- $850 – Full-time U.S. Academic Employee
- $600 - Attorneys, CFPs, CPAs, Paralegals, Trust Officers, and Others Licensed/Employed 3 Years or Less in This Practice Area
Schedule and Faculty
BASIC PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES IN ESTATE PLANNING
Basic testamentary tax planning, including bypass trust planning for married couples and generation-skipping planning. Balancing between securing estate tax benefits and obtaining a step-up in basis for appreciated assets. Use of ascertainable standards and powers of appointment to implement client wishes in a tax-efficient way.
- Professor Eric Reis, UNT Dallas College of Law, Dallas, Texas
MARITAL DEDUCTION PLANNING & PORTABILITY
Basic Strategies and current problem areas in estate planning for spouses, QTIP trusts and the QTIP election, drafting problems and their solutions. Analysis of types of marital deduction formula clauses (true worth, minimum worth, fairly representative) and advantages and disadvantages of each, discussion of fractional share clauses and comparison with pecuniary formulas. How portability has impacted marital deduction planning and its problems and benefits.
- Kristin L. Brown, Davis Stephenson PLLC, Dallas, Texas
IRREVOCABLE TRUSTS WITH EMPHASIS ON LIFE INSURANCE PLANNING
Review of income, gift, and estate taxation of life insurance, use of irrevocable life insurance trusts to provide estate liquidity and to solve other common (and not so common) problems, “Crummey” clauses and the advantages and disadvantages of each, problems with poorly administered “Crummey” trusts and solutions to those trusts.
- John K. Round, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Plano, Texas
TRANSFER PLANNING
Lifetime estate planning transfers, especially transfers of property over which the donor wishes to maintain some control, including points to consider in designing donor-trusteed irrevocable trusts; practical planning ideas for removing appreciation from the estate by using GRATs and Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts.
- Darin N. Digby, Schoenbaum, Curphy & Scanlan, P.C., San Antonio, Texas
ANTICIPATING WILL CONTESTS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
This presentation focuses on when will contests are likely to occur and 18 steps an estate planner may wish to consider to reduce the likelihood of a contest or enhance the chance of winning one should it occur.
- Dr. Gerry W. Beyer, Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
ESTATE PLANNING ETHICS
Ethical issues and conflict of interest concerns in estate planning for multiple members of the same family, as well as for the family’s business interests; conflict of interest and confidentiality problems in planning for spouses, siblings, and other family members; client conflict letters and other documentation; malpractice concerns; quality control procedures; privity issues.
- Michael V. Bourland, Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C., Fort Worth, Texas
- Darin N. Digby, Schoenbaum, Curphy & Scanlan, P.C., San Antonio, Texas
INCOME TAXATION OF TRUSTS AND ESTATES
Explore how income tax rules for individuals differ from those applicable to trusts and estates and how those rules can affect an estate plan, including strategies to implement. Learn the obligations of fiduciaries that arise as a result of someone’s death and how death creates unique income tax issues such as basis adjustment. Explore complex issues that estate planners need to know to help fiduciaries avoid income tax traps they may encounter when administering trusts and estates. Discover how language in governing documents and steps taken during administration can minimize unexpected income tax liabilities and secure special income tax planning benefits for decedents, trusts, and estates.
- Mickey R. Davis, Davis & Willms, PLLC, Houston, Texas
- Melissa J. Willms, Davis & Willms, PLLC, Houston, Texas
PRIMER ON CHARITABLE PLANNING
America is the most charitable nation in the world. To aid the American philanthropic spirit, the Federal government provides certain tax incentives for donors. This presentation provides basic income, estate, gift and generation skipping transfer tax knowledge to equip practitioners to guide their clients in advantageously integrating charitable gift planning with estate planning.
- Megan C. Sanders, Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C., Fort Worth, Texas
PLANNING FOR THE FAMILY BUSINESS, INCLUDING FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS (FLPS); WORKING WITH A CLIENT CLOSING A BUSINESS ENTITY
Estate and succession planning for a family business and its owners; ascertaining family attitudes toward wealth and the family business; development of planning objectives; determining whether a business should be sold or kept in the family; tax and non-tax advantages of family limited partnerships; checklist of planning alternatives; preparing the family business for sale.
- Mr. Bourland
INTESTATE SUCCESSION: WHAT EVERY TEXAS ESTATE PLANNER NEEDS TO KNOW
The ability to specify the new owners of property upon death is an important and powerful privilege that each state grants to its citizens. However, only about 25% of individuals take advantage of this privilege and thus you will often be dealing with the estates of intestate decedents. This presentation discusses why this is the case, what happens to property under Texas intestacy statutes, the determination of potential heirs, and an assortment of other issues that arise in intestate situations.
- Dr. Beyer
HOT TOPICS IN ESTATE PLANNING
A discussion of estate planning current developments that are of practical importance to estate planning practices.
- Stephen R. Akers, Bessemer Trust Company, Dallas, Texas
GIFTING TECHNIQUES, THE GENERATION-SKIPPING TRANSFER TAX & POST-MORTEM PLANNING
What you need to know about the GST tax; how to make efficient use of GST exemption allocations; application and implementation of the various GST severance rules and late allocation rules; and an overview of some gifting techniques that incorporate basic GST tax planning considerations and strategies. We’ll conclude with an overview of tax planning issues to consider in administering estates, including disclaimers and selected income tax and estate tax issues.
- Mr. Digby
FIDUCIARY SELECTION
Your clients must exercise great care in selecting executors, trustees, agents, and other fiduciaries. These decisions may affect the client and the client’s family members for many years to come. As one commentator insightfully declared, “No decision is more critical than the selection of executors and trustees.” Decisions regarding the appropriate persons to select are, naturally, for your clients to make. However, you have a duty to explain to your clients the factors they should consider before making designations in their wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other documents. This presentation discusses the characteristics a fiduciary should have as well as other issues such as whether co-fiduciaries are desirable and whether an individual or corporate fiduciary is preferred.
- Dr. Beyer
ESTATE PLANNING FOR CYBER PROPERTY: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS, CRYPTOCURRENCY, AND THE METAVERSE
An overview of the characteristics of these “modern” assets and how to account for them when planning a client’s estate.
- Dr. Beyer
Texas CLE Credit
This program is approved by the State Bar of Texas for 16.5 hours, including 1 hours of ethics. The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) will not be filing this course with any state or country CLE/CPD organization apart from the State Bar of Texas.
Specialization Credit
This program is approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 16.5 hours in the following areas: Estate Planning and Probate Law and Tax Law
! Note that only Texas CLE credit is available and that accreditation for this course will expire. You must complete the course and report your MCLE credit to the State Bar of Texas on or before January 31, 2024 to receive credit.
Testimonials
2023 Conference Attendees (In-Person Event)—a few general comments including what they liked best:
- This program has been a wonderful way to give me a greater foundation in this area of law, which will be extremely helpful as my practice develops.
- Extraordinary - just what new associates & I needed.
- Really great program w/a broad overview.
- The location and speakers were fantastic. I learned a lot, enjoyed interacting with the speakers and other attendees, and hope to have the privilege of attending again next year! : )
- I like the comprehensiveness of the course. As a young attorney, I appreciate the program's efforts to touch on nearly every major topic of estate planning.
- Best foundation outside law school.
- Well organized, excellent speakers.
Other Information
Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Center for American and International Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status in educational activities, scholarship programs or admissions.
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