Probate Process and Executor Duties: The Master Checklist with Deadlines

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Letters of Authority, Getting Certified, Gathering and Authenticating Documents
   10:00 — 10:30, James Adray
2. Initial Notices and Petition, Opening the Estate, Tax Extension Requests
   10:30 — 11:00, James Adray
3. Locating Assets, Inventory Checklist
   11:15 — 11:45, Stephen Keogh
4. Creditor Claims Tasks and Timeline
   11:45 — 12:15, David Parnall
5. Tax Deadlines and Returns
   12:15 — 12:45, Leah Foertsch
6. Year-End Tasks When the Administration Lasts Beyond One Year
   1:15 — 1:45, Bryan L. Phipps
7. Sale of Assets, Payment of Expenses, Other Estate Management Tasks
   1:45 — 2:15, Bryan L. Phipps
8. Final Account Checklist: What Must Be Included
   2:15 — 2:45, Bryan L. Phipps
9. Final Disbursements, Estate Closing, Executor and Attorney Compensation
   2:45 — 3:15, Leah Foertsch
10. Beyond the Closing: Follow-Up Communications, Disputes, Requests, etc.
    3:30 — 4:00, Leah Foertsch
11. Legal Ethics in Probate
    4:00 — 5:00, Stephen Keogh
    1. Whom do You Represent? Conflicts of Interest
    2. Guarding Confidentiality
    3. Attorney Fees
    4. Effective Client Communication
    5. Practicing Law in More Than One State

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.

LEAH FOERTSCH is senior counsel with Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara LLC and a member of the estate and trust planning, administration, and litigation team. Her practice focuses on advising individuals and families in all areas of trust and estate planning, and probate administration. In addition, she has extensive experience in representing individuals and businesses in asset protection, wealth management and tax strategies, and has managed multimillion-dollar real estate transactions, including structuring deals and providing title insurance for both commercial and residential properties. Ms. Foertsch also works with businesses on their succession planning strategies and has advised clients regarding the best structure to meet their needs and goals. Previously, she managed the estate planning and real estate practice for the Palm Beach Gardens office of a multi-state law firm, where she also handled the representation of fiduciaries in all aspects of probate administration. Ms. Foertsch earned her J.D. degree from St. Thomas University School of Law, her Master of Laws in taxation from the University of Miami School of Law, and her undergraduate degree in sociology from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. She is licensed to practice in Florida and is a member of The Florida Bar, Tax and Real Property, Probate, and Trust sections.

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.

DAVID Y. PARNALL is a senior attorney with Hartog Baer & Hand, where he practices in the areas of trust and estate litigation and administration. Mr. Parnall is a member of the Earl Warren American Inn of Court and has presented on issues such as attorney ethics and civility, cannabis, and the impact of race and privilege on criminal sentencing. He is admitted to practice before all federal and state courts in the state of California; and is a member of the Trusts and Estates Section of the State Bar of California; the Alameda County and Contra Costa County bar associations; and the East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers. Mr. Parnall earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from the University of California and his J.D. degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

BRYAN L. PHIPPS is a Shareholder in the firm's Sacramento office, and a member of the Litigation and Tax, Benefits, and Estate Planning practice groups. Mr. Phipps focuses his practice exclusively on helping individuals and families avoid and resolve inheritance disputes. He regularly assists and advises clients on proactive estate planning techniques, diligent administration of trust and probate estates, and ardent representation in court. Mr. Phipps' clients value his creative and effective advocacy in trust and estate disputes, including will and trust contests, fiduciary accountings, breach of trust, financial elder abuse, and court-supervised protective proceedings such as conservatorships. He is also a Certified Special in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and is consistently named by his peers as a Northern California Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in the area of Trust & Estate Litigation. He earned his B.A. degree from Brigham Young University and his J.D. degree from Brigham Young University-J. Reuben Clark School of Law.