Course1

ABCs of Choosing & Drafting the Right Trust for Client Goals

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  Missia H. Vaselaney, Michael Sneeringer

ABCs of Choosing & Drafting the Right Trust for Client Goals Counseling clients about choosing the right trust for their goals is a formidable task of helping them identify what’s truly important to them and then guiding them through an alphabet soup of alternatives, each of which poses tradeoffs.  Some trusts are flexible and offer no tax benefits; others offer substantial tax savings at the cost of control and flexibility.  These and a multitude of other tradeoffs are also complicated by the new tax law which alters the estate and gift tax regime.  But getting the choice right is essential because altering a trust, particularly post-mortem, can be extremely difficult, costly, and produce unforeseen consequences. This program will provide you with a framework for assessing the different trust alternatives and decision-tree for determining which is best for your client’s specific circumstances. Day 1: Choosing the right trust for client goals – tax savings, protecting assets from claimants, providing for family, charitable giving Counseling clients about decision points in choosing the right trust Important non-estate tax considerations in trust selection Revocable v. irrevocable trusts – flexibility v. tax benefits Use of self-settled trusts to shield assets from claims of creditors and others Day 2: Role of special purpose trusts – Special Needs Trusts, credit shelter trusts, and insurance trusts Charitable giving alternatives – charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts Issues related to the Generation Skipping Transfer Tax and portability Integration of trust plans with larger estate plans Speakers: Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses.  She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities.  Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001.   Michael Sneeringer an attorney in the Naples, Florida office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, where his practice focuses on trust and estate planning, probate administration, asset protection planning, and tax law. He has served as vice chair of the asset protection planning committee of the ABA’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Section and is an official reporter of the Heckerling Institute.        Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 3/7/27
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

AI Issues in Trust and Estate Planning

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  Missia H. Vaselaney & Michael Sneeringer

AI Issues in Trust and Estate Planning Generative artificial intelligence – the ability of technology to generate creative works that mimic human intelligence – is a growing and potentially dominant reality across industry and the professions, including the legal professions.  The idea that software might someday supplant the role of lawyers in certain areas of practice has suddenly become reality with the advent of ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI.  This program will explore the forms of generative AI and their potential to supplant certain functions performed by lawyers or paralegals, but also how those tools can be harnessed by lawyers to aid their work. What exactly is “Generative AI”? What elements of traditional trust and estate planning practice might AI replace? What are the best uses of AI to help your trust and estate practice? What are the risks of using AI? What must be disclosed to clients and when?    Speakers: Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses.  She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities.  Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001.   Michael Sneeringer is an attorney in the Naples, Florida office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, where his practice focuses on trust and estate planning, probate administration, asset protection planning, and tax law. He has served as vice chair of the asset protection planning committee of the ABA’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Section and is an official reporter of the Heckerling Institute.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 3/8/26
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Community Grief: Working with Clients Experiencing Grief

$125.00
  • Instructor(s):  Calm Waters

Community Grief: Working with Clients Experiencing Grief As legal professionals, we are often called upon to support our clients through difficult times. It can be challenging to know the best way to interact with someone who is experiencing such deep emotions and it's essential to respond with sensitivity and compassion. This course is designed to provide you with the language, techniques, and best practices needed to interact with clients who have experienced various types of grief, including death, divorce, incarceration, deportation, deployment, and foster/adoptive care. During the class, you will learn about the most supportive and sensitive response for all types of grief. The training will also provide information about Calm Waters services and other resources available in the community.   Presenters’ Bios Heather Gaglio received her Master's degree at Oklahoma State University in Human Development and Family Science with an option in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2012. She is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an Approved Supervisor through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Heather has over 10 years of clinical experience and has worked in non-profit and private practice settings. Heather has been involved in supporting research in the field of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood programs as well. As the current Clinical Director at Calm Waters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Heather oversees a team of therapists and clinical interns who provide over 250 hours of grief counseling to nearly 150 clients each month. She is passionate about increasing access of grief support and educating the community about healthy and helpful ways to support children and families through grief and loss so that no one has to grieve alone. Hannah Showalter received her Master’s Degree at the University of South Carolina in Social Work with a focus on Health and Mental Health. She has practiced as a Licensed Master Level Social Worker since 2017, with experience in the nonprofit field, child abuse investigations, trauma therapy, and grief. As the Program Director at Calm Waters, a grief center in OKC, she oversees all community and center-based support group programs, a team of program interns, and incarcerated Oklahoman’s jail-based support groups. Her goal in programming is to create spaces where those experiencing grief can share without feeling like a problem to be solved, where our loss is validated, accepted, and remembered.    Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 154
    Min.
  • 7/14/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
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Family Feuds in Trust and Estate Planning: Counseling Clients About Dispute Avoidance

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  Steven B. Malech

Family Feuds in Trust and Estate Planning: Counseling Clients About Dispute Avoidance Family feuds are the most destructive force in trust and estate planning. When a senior generation of a family dies or decides to pull back from leading a family business, long suppressed rivalries, disputes and inter-personal conflicts rise to the surface and have often a substantially adverse impact on the business’s operations and value. These disputes often place planners in the extremely difficult spot of having gain the trust of warring factions, understand their grievances, and use the tools of planning to help them and the company find a value-preserving resolution of their conflicts. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to identifying and resolving family feuds in trusts.          Sources of family feuds in trusts and techniques to resolve short of litigation·          Disputes involving distributions, control of family assets, personal rivalries, lack of communication          Techniques for resolution – outside consultants, ongoing family meetings, lifetime gifting, distribution standards          How choosing trustees can provoke or dampen family disputes          How to work with warring family factions while protecting yourself as lawyer   Speaker: Steven B. Malech is partner in the New York City office of Wiggin and Dana, LLP, where he is chair of the firm’s probate litigation practice group.  He represents beneficiaries, fiduciaries and creditors in disputes involving alleged violations of the Prudent Investor Act and its predecessors, alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, disputed accountings, and will contests. He represents clients in cutting edge probate litigation matters involving trusts and estates with assets in the hundreds of millions of dollars.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 10/20/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Incentive Trusts: The Promise & Limits of “Do What I Want & I’ll Reward You

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  John A. Warnick

Incentive Trusts: The Promise & Limits of “Do What I Want & I’ll Reward You” Incentive trusts are a mechanism by which the settlor tries to “incentivize” or seek to control the behavior of beneficiaries.  Settlors may want to encourage children or grandchildren to achieve certain educational milestones, maintain a job, get married or have children, or remain free of substance abuse or other risky behaviors. But there are serious limits – limits of what the law will allow a settlor to demand of a beneficiary or a trustee to enforce.  There are also practical limits, including how to objectively judge a beneficiary’s behavior when making distributions.  Incentive trusts are decidedly a mixed bag. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to drafting incentive trusts, counseling clients about their effectiveness and limits, and understanding what the law will (or won’t) allow.      Uses and limitations – practical and legal – of incentive trusts    Types of incentive trusts – and rates of success or failure in achieving settlor goals    Structuring incentives so they can be objectively measured and administered by trustees    Drafting distribution provisions    Counseling clients about downsides of incentive trusts and alternatives   Speaker: John A. Warnick is an attorney and wealth counselor in Denver, Colorado, with a national estate and trust planning practice. He is widely recognized for his counseling of high net worth families on purposeful giving, the process of not only transferring wealth but creating a lasting legacy. He is also the managing collaborator of the Purposeful Planning Institute and a wealth consultant with Family Wealth and Transition Solutions.  Mr. Warnick is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and formerly practiced law with Holme, Roberts & Owen, LLP in Denver.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 9/8/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Incentive Trusts: The Promise & Limits of “Do What I Want & I’ll Reward You”

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  John A. Warnick

Incentive Trusts: The Promise & Limits of “Do What I Want & I’ll Reward You” Incentive trusts are a mechanism by which the settlor tries to “incentivize” or seek to control the behavior of beneficiaries.  Settlors may want to encourage children or grandchildren to achieve certain educational milestones, maintain a job, get married or have children, or remain free of substance abuse or other risky behaviors. But there are serious limits – limits of what the law will allow a settlor to demand of a beneficiary or a trustee to enforce.  There are also practical limits, including how to objectively judge a beneficiary’s behavior when making distributions.  Incentive trusts are decidedly a mixed bag. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to drafting incentive trusts, counseling clients about their effectiveness and limits, and understanding what the law will (or won’t) allow.      Uses and limitations – practical and legal – of incentive trusts    Types of incentive trusts – and rates of success or failure in achieving settlor goals    Structuring incentives so they can be objectively measured and administered by trustees    Drafting distribution provisions    Counseling clients about downsides of incentive trusts and alternatives   Speaker: John A. Warnick is an attorney and wealth counselor in Denver, Colorado, with a national estate and trust planning practice. He is widely recognized for his counseling of high net worth families on purposeful giving, the process of not only transferring wealth but creating a lasting legacy. He is also the managing collaborator of the Purposeful Planning Institute and a wealth consultant with Family Wealth and Transition Solutions.  Mr. Warnick is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and formerly practiced law with Holme, Roberts & Owen, LLP in Denver.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 9/8/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Special Issues in Small Trusts

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  John T. Midgett, Missia H. Vaselaney

LIVE REPLAY: Special Issues in Small Trusts There are many more small trusts than large trusts and they pose special challenges for trust planners and administrators.  The fees paid to trustees and to investment professionals, together with ongoing reporting and fiduciary income tax compliance costs, can consume a substantial portion of the trust’s liquid assets or income.  There are also the challenges in the types of assets commonly held by small trusts. In other instances, trusts may cease to be practically and financially viable, and may need to be restructured or even terminated. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting, structuring and administering small trusts – and what to do when they cease to be viable entities.  Economics of small trusts – trustee compensation, reimbursement of expenses, investment fees Challenges of trust management of operating businesses and real estate Restructuring or terminating trusts that are no longer economically viable Custodial accounts and other alternatives to small trusts Choosing a trustee for a small trust versus a larger trust   Speakers: John T. Midgett is a founder of Midgett & Preti PC in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where his practice focuses on estate planning, administration and taxation, elder law, and family business planning.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Duke University Estate Planning Council.  He has lectured widely on topics relating to estate planning, taxation, probate, elder law, and family businesses. Mr. Midgett received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from the University of Richmond. Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses.  She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities.  Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001.  Ms. Vaselaney received her B.A. from the University of Dayton and her J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 3/16/26
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Trust and Estate Planning for Collectibles, Art & Other Unusual Assets

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  Jeremiah W. Doyle IV and Blanche Lark Christerson

Trust and Estate Planning for Collectibles, Art & Other Unusual Assets Art, collectibles, cars, jewelry and other unique assets, perhaps handed down for generations in a family, may form a large share a client’s estate.  Unlike more traditional assets, these non-traditional assets pose special challenges for planners.  There are issues of valuation – how do you value a painting, even by a well-known artist? – and liquidity.  Though very valuable, these objects do not have liquid markets.  There are also many issues surrounding the lifetime or post-mortem transfer of control of these assets, tax issues, and, in some instances, intellectual property issues.  These and many other issues can be fascinating but also frustrating. This program will provide you with a practical guide to trust and estate planning for art, collectibles, jewelry, and other unique assets.          Trust and estate planning issues for art, collectibles, jewelry, cars, and other unique assets          The problem of valuing unique objects          Liquidity and paying taxes and expenses for objects with great value but small markets          Irrevocable trust planning for art and collectibles          Lifetime and post-mortem charitable giving during the donor’s lifetime          Succession planning for unique objects          Issues related to fractional ownership interests          Art executors and special powers of attorney          Estate administration issues   Speakers: Jeremiah W. Doyle, IV is senior vice president in the Boston office of BNY Mellon Wealth Management, where he provides integrated wealth management advice to high net worth individuals on holding, managing and transferring wealth in a tax-efficient manner.  He is the editor and co-author of “Preparing Fiduciary Income Tax Returns,” a contributing author of Preparing Estate Tax Returns, and a contributing author of “Understanding and Using Trusts,” all published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.    Blanche Lark Christerson is a managing director at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management in New York City, where she works with clients and their advisors to help develop estate, gift, tax, and wealth transfer planning strategies.  Earlier in her career she was a vice president in the estate planning department of U.S. Trust Company.  She also practiced law with Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York City.  Ms. Christerson is the author of the monthly newsletter “Tax Topics."         Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 60
    Min.
  • 9/27/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS
Course1

Trust and Estate Planning for Firearms

$85.00
  • Instructor(s):  Lee-ford Tritt

Trust and Estate Planning for Firearms Many clients hold firearms in their estates.  These firearms – shotguns, rifles, pistols or others guns – may have been long held in their families and hold sentimental value. These firearms may also be quite valuable. Clients wanting to pass these firearms to their heirs, however, are subject to a significant and growing body of law regulating the transfer of firearms, even as part of a testate transfer. These are no ordinary assets that can be transferred easily like other personal property. In fact, in the absence of strict adherence to a body of law, the estate’s executor, a trust’s trustee, or the estate planner himself or herself, as well as the transferee, may be subject to substantial fines or even imprisonment.  This program will provide you with a real-world guide to risks of and best practices for transferring firearms as part of a trust and estate plan.   ·         Framework of gun law and how it impacts trust and estate planning ·         Drafting “Gun Trusts” to transfer firearms & comply with National Firearm Act ·         Planning for death and incapacity of firearm owners ·         Potential substantial fines and jail time for estate planners, executors, and trustees ·         Special issues in probate, trustee selection, and constructive control of firearms   Speaker: Lee-ford Tritt is a law professor and member of the graduate tax faculty at the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville, where he teaches trust and estate planning. He is also the director of the Center for Estate Planning and director of the Estate Planning Practice Certificate Program.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the vice president of the American Association of Law Schools’ Trusts & Estates Division.  In addition, He serves as vice chair of the ABA Real Property Trusts & Estates Law Section’s Outreach Committee as well as a chair of a committee for the Non-Tax Estate Planning Considerations Group.  Before joining the College of Law, he practiced at Davis, Polk & Wardwell and Milbank Tweed in New York City.       Disclaimer:  All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials. 

  • On-Demand
    Format
  • 58
    Min.
  • 8/1/25
    Avail. to
  • DETAILS