Agenda / Content Covered

1. COMMENCEMENT OF PROCEEDINGS AND INFORMATION GATHERING
   8:30 - 9:30, Written by Roberta L. Wilkes. Presented by K. Kirk Nystrom in Topeka and Roberta L. Wilkes in Overland Park.
   1. Appointment of Estate Administration
      1. Formal vs. Informal Proceedings
      2. Sample Letters of Authority
   2. First Meeting With Family or Designated Personal Representative and Determination of Heirs
   3. Written Fee Agreements
   4. Tips to Locate Information Quickly Using Online and Government Resources
   5. Dealing with Multiple States
2. INITIAL STEPS TO THE ESTATE ADMINISTRATION PROCESS
   9:30 - 10:15, Written and Presented by K. Kirk Nystrom in Topeka and Roberta L. Wilkes in Overland Park.
   1. Understanding the Laws of Intestacy
   2. Sample Estate Administration Checklists, Forms and Required Notices Needed
   3. Interpreting Provisions and Terms of Art Found in Wills
   4. Using Disclaimers Correctly
3. MARSHALLING ASSETS
   10:30 - 11:15, Written by Roberta L. Wilkes. Presented by K. Kirk Nystrom in Topeka and Roberta L. Wilkes in Overland Park.
   1. Procedures to Locating and Marshalling Probate and Non-Probate Assets
      1. Safe Deposit Boxes and Bank Accounts
      2. Real Estate
      3. Brokerage Accounts, 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
   2. Sample Forms and Documents Needed
   3. Appraisers and Valuing the Property of Probate Estates
4. HANDLING CREDITOR CLAIMS AND DEBT
   11:15 - 12:00, Written by Mark A. Werner. Presented by K. Kirk Nystrom in Topeka and Mark A. Werner in Overland Park.
   1. Sample Forms and Required Notices Needed
   2. Priority and Payment of Claims
   3. Late Claims and Contested Claims
   4. Steps to Ensure all Debt is Located and Handled Correctly
      1. What if the Assets Don't Cover the Bills?
      2. Bankruptcy and Foreclosure
   5. Selling of Assets and Properly Dealing with Creditors
5. COMPLEX ISSUES IN ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
   1:00 - 1:45, Written and Presented by Kathleen R. Urbom in Topeka and Overland Park.
   1. Jointly Held Assets
   2. Spousal Claims
      1. Allowances and Elections Against the Will
   3. Handling Unmarried Couples and Stepchildren
   4. Will Contests, Trust and Estate Disputes
   5. Business Ownership
   6. Agency Problems Involving Guardianships, Conservatorships, Powers of Attorney or Other Agency Relationships
6. HANDLING ESTATE ADMINISTRATION TAX ISSUES
   1:45 - 2:45, Written and Presented by Kathleen R. Urbom in Topeka and Overland Park.
   1. Examples of Forms Needed
   2. Federal and State Estate Tax Considerations
   3. Income Tax Issues for the Estate and the Heirs
   4. Resolving Disputes With Taxing Authorities
   5. Deductions and Exemptions
   6. How the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Affects Your Clients
   7. Tax Deadlines and Handling Extensions
   8. Sales of Real Property
7. DISTRIBUTION AND CLOSING OF THE ESTATE
   3:00 - 3:40, Written by Mark A. Werner. Presented by Kathleen R. Urbom in Topeka and Mark A. Werner in Overland Park.
   1. Sample Forms, Agreements and Documents Needed
   2. Proper Transferring and Distribution of Probate and Non-Probate Assets and Timing of Distributions
      1. Real Estate
      2. 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
      3. Distribution of Miscellaneous Assets (Automobiles, Jewelry, Etc.)
   3. Distributions in Kind
   4. Distribution to Minors, Surviving Spouse and Trusts
   5. Disposition of Unclaimed Assets
   6. Proper Settlement of the Estate
      1. Formal and Informal Estate Accountings
      2. Choosing the Appropriate Closing Procedure
      3. Compensation and Discharge of the Personal Representative
8. ETHICS AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
   3:40 - 4:40, Written by B.J. Hickert. Presented by B.J. Hickert in Topeka and Kathleen R. Urbom in Overland Park.
   1. Breach of Fiduciary Responsibility
   2. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
   3. Attorney-Client Privilege
   4. Fee Agreements

Accreditation Details:

B.J. HICKERT is a partner in the Topeka law firm Newbery, Ungerer & Hickert LLP, where his main areas of practice are estate planning, business, tax, probate and trust law. He graduated cum laude from Benedictine College in 1977, received his J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1980, and obtained an LL.M. degree in Taxation from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law in 1995. Mr. Hickert taught the estate and gift tax course as an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law and/or Kansas University School of Law for the last 12 years. During 2008, he was admitted as a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Hickert frequently provides continuing legal education programs regarding tax, trust administration, estate planning and business issues. (Topeka location)

K. KIRK NYSTROM is the principal of Nystrom Law Office, in Topeka, Kansas, with extensive experience in the areas of estate planning, real estate and probate law. He marketed real estate and held a Kansas real estate broker's license before he began practicing law. Mr. Nystrom taught real estate fundamentals at Washburn University, and he often lectures for various professional groups. He is a member of the Probate Committee of the Topeka Bar Association. Mr. Nystrom earned his B.B.A. degree from Washburn University, his J.D. degree from Washburn University School of Law, and LL.M. degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. (Topeka location)

KATHLEEN R. URBOM is a sole practitioner in Topeka and Olathe, where she has a civil practice, including contract formation and litigation, business entities formation and governance, estate planning and probate, and special education law. She has spoken previously on special education law; landlord tenant law; and end of life planning, including business succession, wills and trusts, and guardian conservatorships. Ms. Urbom earned her B.S. degree from St. Mary of the Plains College and her J.D. degree from Washburn University of Topeka. She is a member of the Kansas and Topeka bar associations, the Women's Attorneys Association of Topeka, and Jenny Mitchell Kellogg Circle. (Topeka and Overland Park locations)

MARK A. WERNER is an attorney at law in private practice in Pittsburg, Kansas. His practice areas include estate planning and probate, banking and commercial law, business formation and advising, real estate, and general civil litigation. Mr. Werner is a member of the Crawford County and Southeast Kansas bar associations. He earned his B.S. degree from Kansas State University and his J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. Mr. Werner has been an adjunct instructor in "Accounting Law, Legal and Social Environment of Business," and other undergraduate courses at Pittsburg State University, as well as a presenter at various estate planning and probate seminars and continuing legal education programs over the years. (Overland Park location)

ROBERTA L. WILKES is a partner in the law firm of Wilkes & Dunn, where she practices in the areas of probate, estate planning, real estate, small business, and nonprofit organizations. She is licensed to practice law in both Kansas and Oklahoma. Ms. Wilkes taught legal professionals for more than 20 years at both Johnson County Community College and Kansas City, Kansas Community College. She has spoken at seminars for lawyers, primarily in the field of estate planning and probate. Ms. Wilkes is a member of the Wyandotte County Bar Association and the Cherokee County Bar Association in Oklahoma. She earned her B.A. degree from Wichita State University and her J.D. degree, with distinction, from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. (Overland Park location)