Agenda / Content Covered

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1. Process Overview and Timeline
   8:30 - 9:15, Thais Amaral Tellawi
   
   1. Small or Informal Estate Administration
   2. Formal Estate Administration
   3. Testate vs. Intestate Estates
   4. Probate vs. Non-Probate Assets
2. How to Open the Estate: First Steps and Filing
   9:15 - 10:15, Thais Amaral Tellawi
   
   1. Client Interview and Information Gathering
   2. Finding and Reviewing the Will
   3. The Petition and Notice to Beneficiaries
   4. Educating the Personal Representative
   5. Giving Notice to Creditors
   6. Sample Forms and Checklists
3. How to Gather Assets, Compile the Inventory and File it
   10:30 - 11:15, Joel Norris
   
   1. Tax ID and Opening an Estate Account
   2. Locating Assets and Debts
   3. Determining Title to Assets
   4. Taking Possession of Assets
   5. Handling Unique Assets (Digital Assets, Art, Antiques, etc.)
   6. Completing the Inventory and Appraisal Form (w/Samples)
   7. Filing the Inventory with the Court
   8. Asset Management During Administration
4. How to Deal with Creditors' Claims
   11:15 - 12:15, Joel Norris
   
   1. Priority: Exempt Property, Family Allowance, Claims and Taxes
   2. Filing/Submission Requirements and Validity of Claims
   3. Satisfying or Rejecting Claims
   4. Selling Assets to Satisfy Claims
   5. Handling Insolvent Estates
   6. Liability of the Fiduciary and Beneficiaries
5. How to Handle Taxes
   1:15 - 2:15, Don D. Ford III
   
   1. Current Tax Laws, Rates and Exemptions
   2. Tax Issues, Filing Requirements and Deadlines
   3. Post-Mortem Tax Planning - Basic Tips
   4. Preparing the Decedent's Final Income Tax Return(s)
   5. Income Tax Returns for the Estate
   6. Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes
   7. Sample Tax Forms
6. How to Prepare the Final Accounting
   2:15 - 2:45, Don D. Ford III
   
   1. Accounting Principles and Process
   2. How to do the Final Accounting and Schedules
   3. Practical Tips and Common Issues That May Arise
   4. Sample Accounting Walkthrough
7. How to Distribute Assets and Close the Estate
   3:00 - 3:40, Don D. Ford III
   
   1. Handling Spousal Share Demands and Waivers
   2. Managing Disclaimers
   3. Prioritizing and Timing Distributions
   4. Petition and Plan of Distribution (w/Samples)
   5. Transferring and Distributing Assets
   6. Discharging the PR and Closing the Estate
8. How to Uphold Ethical Standards
   3:40 - 4:40, Andrea L. Barr
   
   1. Identifying Your Client
   2. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
   3. Structuring Fee Agreements
   4. Keeping Clients Informed

Accreditation Details:

THAIS AMARAL TELLAWI is a managing partner with the law firm of Amaral Tellawi Law, where she focuses her practice on estate planning, including wills, trusts, guardianship, and probate. Ms. Tellawi represents individuals, families and business owners. Ms. Tellawi is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Attorney's in Tax and Probate, and National Association of Financial and Insurance Advisors. She earned her J.D. degree from Texas Southern University and her B.A. degree from the University of Houston.

ANDREA L. BARR is an attorney with the law firm of Ford + Bergner LLP, where she focuses her practice on fiduciary, probate and trust litigation. Ms. Barr is a certified guardianship ad litem attorney, and a member of the Houston Bar Association, Attorneys in Tax and Probate, Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association, and the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust and Litigation sections of the State Bar of Texas. Ms. Barr earned her B.S. degree from the University of Houston and her J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

DON D. FORD III is the managing partner with the law firm of Ford + Bergner LLP, and is board certified in estate planning and probate. He has lectured to various professional groups on estate planning, probate and guardianships topics; and practices exclusively in these areas. In 2014, Mr. Ford was appointed by the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to serve as a commissioner on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission, to serve as a subject-matter expert in the area of guardianships. Additionally, Mr. Ford served from 2006 to 2014 on the Texas Guardianship Certification Board, where he served as the vice-chair of the committee and chaired the Rules Committee. He has also served on the Editorial Board of the Houston Lawyer Magazine, and the Board of Trustees for the Houston Lawyer Referral Service. Mr. Ford is a member of the Probate, Trusts and Estates sections of both the Houston and Dallas bar associations. He earned both his B.B.A. and J.D. degrees from Baylor University.

JOEL NORRIS co-founded Norris Golubovic PLLC, and is board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He specializes in estate planning, transfer tax avoidance, estate/trust administration, estate/trust litigation, and tax controversy/litigation. Mr. Norris provides practical counsel to his clients on a full range of issues including minimizing income, gift, estate, and generation skipping taxes, business succession planning, trusts, charitable planning, and many other family wealth transfer issues. Mr. Norris is a member of the State Bar of Texas (Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section and Taxation Section), American Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, and the State Bar College of Texas. He is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts as well as the United States Tax Court. Mr Norris earned his B.S. degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.