Estate Counselors Forum
- Established 1964 in West Los Angeles, California.
- The Estate Counselors Forum is an organization dedicated exclusively to the free exchange of ideas, news, and development among the members, all of whom share a common bond and substantial experience in Southern California in the professional fields of tax, retirement, wealth transfer and management, and estate planning.
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Estate Counselors Forum
Established 1964 in West Los Angeles, California.

2021-2022 President
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2021-2022 Secretary
Mitchell Kraus
CAP, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CHSNC
Capital Intelligence Associates
(Los Angeles)
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Calendar
Our Next Event is June 16, 2022:
Use and Abuse of Conservatorship Nominations
by Adam L. Streltzer, Esq.
Recent Past Events
May 19, 2022:Who’s Your Daddy? Complex Parentage and Assisted Reproduction Issuesfor Estate Planning Attorneys by Amira Hasenbush- April 21, 2022:THE MEDICAL AND LEGAL HISTORY OF DEMENTIA; The Ethics of Conservatee Independence by Jeffrey Marvan, JD (Marvan Law APC) and Dr. Sarah Mourra MD
- March 17, 2022:LIFE INSURANCE PLANNING(from Someone NOT Trying to Sell Insurance)by Aimee Kwain, JD
- February 17, 2022:EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! Changes in the Case Law in 2021by Marc Sallus & Melody Dosch (Oldman Cooley Sallus Birnberg Coleman & Gold LLP)
- January 20, 2022:T&E ETHICS - PRACTITIONERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: AGE-OLD ISSUES IN A NEW ENVIRONMENTby Ann Rudoph and Heather Rosing
- October 21, 2021:BRACING FOR IN RE BRACE AND ITS AFTERMATH - A timely discussion of the new California Supreme Court ruling in the case of In Re Brace by family law litigators Anthony Storm, Esq. and Christopher C. Melcher, Esq.
- September 23, 2021:Hoarding: An Excavation Beneath the Piles by Regina F. Lark, Ph.D., CPO
- June 17, 2021:ING (Incomplete, Non-Grantor Trusts) Trusts - Live to Fight Another Year? by Daniel C. Lorenzen, Esq. and Victor Shlionsky, CPA
- May 20, 2021:Copyrights and Estate Planning by Paul Gordon Hoffman, Esq.
- April 15, 2021:New Developments in Bankruptcy Law and Debtor-Creditor Relations Affecting Estate and Financial Planning by Hon. Julia W. Brand and Adam L. Streltzer, Esq.
- March 18, 2021:No Longer SECURE: Estate Planning Under the SECURE Act by Autumn Ronda, Esq.
- February 15, 2021:Cannabis Estate Planning by Iran Hopkins Esq., and Claudia Fu Esq.
- November 18, 2021:NEW IDEAS FOR CHARITABLE PLANNINGby Mitchell S. Kraus, and Carol Bradford Worley, Esq.
IN MEMORIUM
Mr. Paul Basile (2020)
Mr. Larry Mitchell (2021)
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Information / Resources
POSTED: April 21, 2022
The Judicial Council of California has published adjusted maximum amounts limits for Disposition of Small Estates Without Full Probate Administration.
Example: The small estate affidavit/petition limit has increased from $166,250 to the new amount of $184,500
Link to Judicial Council Notice/Form DE-300
POSTED: April 21, 2022
Updated list (revision January 18, 2022) provided by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk - "Notice of Exempt Transactions Under the Documentary Transfer Tax"
A link to the Notice (rev 1/18/2022) can be found here.
POSTED: April 19, 2022
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE COMING TO CALIFORNIA'S ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENT LAWS REGARDING RENEWAL OF JUDGMENTS AND POST-JUDGMENT INTEREST RATES FOR CONSUMER DEBTS
B-1200 would restrict the ability to renew a civil money judgment, permitting renewal only for the purpose of renewing any judgment liens. The bill would also decrease the rate of interest to 3% per annum if the money judgment is entered in favor of public entity or if the money judgment is entered in a claim related to personal/consumer debts.
A link to SB-1200 can be found here.
POSTED: February 11, 2022
COPRAC ETHICS OPINION 2021-207:
Advanced Consent to Protective Disclosure for Incapacitated Client
Summary: The Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct of the State Bar (COPRAC) has issued a detailed and lengthy opinion dealing with an attorney’s duties when representing an incapacitated client. One key conclusion in the opinion is the following statement:
“A lawyer representing a competent client may propose to the client that the client give advanced consent to protective disclosure in the event that the client later becomes incapacitated and that incapacity exposes the client to harm. If appropriately limited and informed, such a consent is ethically proper.”
A link to the opinion can be found here.
POSTED: January 13, 2022
NEW CAR RPA FORMS:
On December 14, 2021, the California Association of Realtors released a revised version of the Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA). There are substantial changes, including the elimination of at least 6 forms (hint - no more Probate purchase agreement) as well as major changes and additional new forms.
{Provided as a service to our members.}