Whenever a person dies, his or her estate needs to be collected, managed and distributed as outlined in both state and federal law. Join us and gain a comprehensive understanding of essential probate techniques in order to easily organize the decedent's information and manage your ongoing responsibilities. Whether you are new to the process or you are in need of a refresher, this course will provide you with practical knowledge you can put to work immediately.

1. Initiating the Probate Process
2. Spouse's Rights and Family Maintenance
3. Ethical Issues
4. Basic Tax Matters
5. Closing the Estate
6. Common Probate Problems and How to Solve Them

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. INITIATING THE PROBATE PROCESS
   9:00 - 10:15, Michelle B. Carron
1. Interviewing and Determining the Personal Representative
2. Locating, Collecting and Taking Inventory of the Decedent's Assets - Probate vs. Nonprobate
3. Determining Which Types of Administration are Right for You - Informal or Formal
4. Elections and Filings
5. Handling Claims Against the Estate
2. SPOUSE'S RIGHTS AND FAMILY MAINTENANCE
   10:30 - 11:30, Tiffany A. O'Connell Gillis
1. Determining the Existence or Nonexistence of a Will
2. Duties of the Personal Representative
3. Homestead and Exempt Property -What is Legally the Client's, Regardless of Value
4. What are the Family Allowances That Can be Taken?
3. ETHICAL ISSUES
   11:30 - 12:00, Michelle B. Carron
1. Performing Competent Legal Services
2. Identifying the Client
3. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
4. Keeping the Client Informed
4. BASIC TAX MATTERS
   1:00 - 2:15, Anna E. Byrne
1. Overview of Tax Compliance and Post-Mortem Planning
2. Coordinating and Filing the Estate Tax and Fiduciary Income Tax Return
3. Planning for an Estate Tax Audit
5. CLOSING THE ESTATE
   2:30 - 3:30, Anna E. Byrne
1. Timing of Distributions
2. Transfer of Probate and Nonprobate Assets
3. Distributions to Minors and Trusts
4. Preparing the Final Account
5. Petition for Complete Settlement
6. Obtaining Discharge of the Personal Representative
6. COMMON PROBATE PROBLEMS AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM
   3:30 - 4:30, Tiffany A. O'Connell Gillis
1. What to do When the Decedent Has Property in More Than One State - Multiple Domiciles
2. Inter Vivos and Testamentary Trusts
3. Intestate Administration

ANNA E. BYRNE is an estate planning attorney. Ms. Byrne's decision to establish her own firm in 2009 stemmed from a desire to create estate plans that encompass more than just the transfer of tangible assets. Her goal is to help her clients express their values and pass those on along with their assets with the lowest expense and tax impact possible. Ms. Byrne is a member of the Massachusetts and New York bar associations. She began her career in tax at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and Internal Revenue Service. Ms. Byrne then worked at a large regional financial planning firm advising entrepreneurs and business owners in creating tax efficient stock option and investment strategies and advanced estate planning solutions. Subsequently, she was involved as a principal at an early-stage venture capital firm and served as corporate counsel to a business incubator. In 2001, Ms. Byrne founded the firm Kirkland Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor company which provided comprehensive tax, financial and investment planning to individuals. She entered private practice in 2005 and worked with a small south shore law firm advising individuals and business owners to create estate and business succession plans. Ms. Byrne earned her bachelor's degree from New York University and her law degree from the New England School of Law. She frequently offers seminars to non-profits, businesses, and individual groups on various subjects. Ms. Byrne has served on numerous non-profit boards of directors and currently serves on the Board of the Agassiz Baldwin Community in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

MICHELLE B. CARRON is a sole practitioner in Newton, where her primary areas of practice include estate planning, probate, tax, guardianship of the mentally ill, elder law and veterans' issues. Ms. Carron is admitted to the Massachusetts and New Hampshire bar associations, and the U.S. Tax Court and the Federal District Court for the 1st Circuit. She is an adjunct professor of estates at Suffolk University Law School and has published articles on developments in estate planning legislation and nonprofit charitable tax issues. Ms. Carron has lectured in the area of wills, probate and estate planning extensively for National Business Institute and the Institute for Paralegal Education. She earned her B.S. degree from the University of New Hampshire, her J.D. degree from Suffolk University Law School, and her LL.M. degree from Boston University Law School.

TIFFANY A. O'CONNELL is the principal of O'Connell and Byrne, LLC in Needham, Massachusetts. She focuses her practice on estate planning, Medicaid planning, probate administrations, trust administration, charitable giving planning, business succession planning, special needs planning and retirement and wealth strategies. Prior to opening her own firm, Ms. O'Connell was an attorney with the Family Estate Planning Law Group. She joined the firm in 2007 following an active-duty tour in the Army's Judge Advocate General Corp at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where she served for 1 1/2 years as Soldier's Counsel for disabled soldiers. Prior to her active-duty tour, Ms. O'Connell worked for many years in the insurance industry, both in-house as well as with an insurance defense law firm. She earned her B.A. degree from Boston College, her J.D. degree from New England School of Law and her LLM. degree from Boston University.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com