PROBATE: Full Walkthrough With Checklists and Documents

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Actions in Anticipation of Probate (With Checklist)
   10:00 — 10:30, Stephen Keogh
2. Methods of Probate
   10:30 — 11:00, Stephen Keogh
3. Administration of the Estate (With a Sample Inventory)
   11:00 — 12:00, James Adray
   1. Powers and Duties of the Executor
   2. Initial Filing Forms and Requirements
   3. Estate Inventory
   4. Management of Estate Assets
4. Creditor and Family Claims
   12:15 — 1:15, Stephen Keogh
   1. Beneficiary and Creditor Notices (With Samples)
   2. Priority of Claims
   3. Denying a Claim
   4. Sale of Assets to Pay Creditors
   5. Claims of Surviving Spouses and Children
5. Tax Obligations
   1:45 — 2:45, Gordon Jack
   1. Tax Forms and Deadlines
   2. Filing the Tax Returns and Communicating With the IRS
   3. Post-Mortem Tax Tactics
6. Winding Up the Estate
   2:45 — 3:45, Paul Wright
   1. inal Accounting (With an Example)
   2. Distributions (Notices, Consents/Waivers, Execution)
   3. Compensation and Discharge of Fiduciary
7. Legal Ethics
   4:00 — 5:00, James Adray
   1. Competency in the Context of Probate
   2. Joint Representation of Spouses
   3. Attorneys Who Act as Fiduciaries
   4. Guarding Confidentiality
   5. Attorney Fees and Engagement Agreements

Accreditation Details:

James S Adray is a partner in the Toledo law firm of Adray & Grna, where he practices in the areas of business law, probate, estate planning, divorce, and medical malpractice. Mr. Adray is a mediator/arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and is a mediator trainer throughout Ohio. He has taught at the University of Toledo Law School and College of Education. Mr. Adray is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Alternate Dispute Resolution, and Probate and Trust Law committees), and the Ohio State (Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution committees) and Toledo bar associations. He earned both his B.A. degree and J.D. degree from the University of Toledo.

Gordon S Jack is a tax partner with the Tidwell Group. He has more than 28 years of public accounting experience, including 15 years as the managing partner of a Salt Lake City, Utah, based firm. Mr. Jack works closely with individuals and business owners to assist them with their tax and estate planning needs. His experience covers tax, accounting, and closely held business consulting with industry experience, including real estate development, low income housing tax credits, professional publications, financial institution service organizations, oil and gas partnerships, foreign corporation transfer pricing and subsidiary accounting, franchises, mortgage brokerage firms, professional service firms, various business and estate tax planning, tax authority representation, and assisting the closely held business attain its potential. He is also responsible for managing and planning tax engagements within the firm. Mr. Jack is called upon to teach classes concerning accounting, income tax, and increasing the value of your closely held business, as well as discussing accounting as a profession with high school and college students. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Jack is licensed in the states of Alabama, California, and Utah. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Utah.

Stephen B Keogh is a partner in the Norwalk law firm of Keogh, Burkhart & Vetter, practicing primarily in elder law and probate law. A magna cum laude graduate of Yale College, Mr. Keogh earned his J.D. degree from Columbia University. He is a member of the Fairfield County, Connecticut and American bar associations; and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr. Keogh is a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, a member of the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, and a past co-chair of the Elder Law Section of the Fairfield County Bar Association. He is also a member of the Community Bioethics Forum, which is sponsored by the Program for Biomedical Ethics at the Yale School of Medicine, and was the first recipient of the Glenn E. Knierim Pro Bono Award, given by the Connecticut Probate Assembly, in April 2012.

Paul F Wright is a senior partner with The Wright Firm LLP, and the managing partner of the firm’s Dallas office. His practice concerns fiduciary and business litigation, contested and uncontested probate and guardianship matters as well as estate and business planning. His litigation practice focuses on resolving estate and trust disputes as well as representing closely-held and middle-market businesses. Mr. Wright’s transaction practice involves counseling individuals, families, widows, business owners and professionals (primarily physicians) in estate and tax planning, wealth preservation, post-divorce planning and asset rehabilitation and advising business owners regarding on-going legal matters that affect businesses. Mr. Wright is a licensed attorney and a Certified Public Accountant and is Board Certified in Estate Planning & Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Texas Society of CPA’s, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the National College of Probate Judges. Mr. Wright earned his B.S. degree in accounting from the University of North Texas, his M.S. degree in taxation from the University of North Texas, and his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law.