Estate Counselors Forum

Upcoming events

    • Wednesday, November 18, 2026
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Hillcrest Country Club
    Register

    In the past 2 years, there have been significant legislative and planning developments that have materially changed charitable giving strategy for high-net worth donors.  Ms. Worley will discuss how legislation like the Secure 2.0 Act and the OBBB have changed the ways that your clients should be thinking about their charitable planning and giving, including the assets they may be using to fund their charitable work.  Ms. Worley will also talk about some of the "hot" issues in charitable giving, such as move to non-cash assets as a preferred charitable funding tool, and the heightened scrutiny around donor advised funds and their use to fund other charities.

    Our speaker is Carol Bradford Worley, JD, AEP, General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary of the California Community Foundation and an ECF Member.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Monday, November 9, 2026. 

    • Wednesday, January 20, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Hillcrest Country Club
    We start 2027 with own two superstars: Maggie Wilson, Secretary of Estate Counselors Forum and a Partner at Weinstock Manion in Century City, and Kristina Meyer, Past President of Estate Counselors Forum and a CPA with Van Houten Tax & Business Solutions in Camarillo.  Maggie and Kristina will educate us about portability.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Monday, January 11, 2027. 

    • Wednesday, February 17, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • ZOOM

    ECF Member Alla Kutz, Director of Trust Administration and Fiduciary Advisory Services for BMO Wealth Management, and Attorney Lauriann Wright, a Probate Litigation Attorney with Wright Kim Douglas in Glendale, will discuss drafting in retrospect and lessons to be learned.  They'll share with us their experiences and advice about tricky situations that trust officers find themselves in that could have been avoided with better drafting.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Friday, February 12, 2027. 

    • Wednesday, March 17, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Hillcrest Country Club
    Advances in assisted reproduction have created estate planning challenges that were unimaginable a generation ago. This presentation examines the legal issues surrounding posthumous use of genetic material, the parentage and inheritance rights of children conceived after a parent's death, and the evolving interplay between California parentage law, probate law, and reproductive technology. Attendees will leave with practical guidance for identifying risks, drafting documents, and advising clients whose families may extend beyond traditional timelines.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Monday, March 8, 2027. 

    • Wednesday, April 28, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • ZOOM

    Judge Mary Thornton House retired in 2018 after 22 years on the bench in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.  She now works as a Mediator with ARC-Alternative Resolution Centers.  Since she's seen it all during her career, she'll now try to spread some of her deep knowledge to us in this wide-ranging discussion about probate litigation, what judges want and need to hear, and using mediation to resolve resolve probate disputes.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Friday, April 23, 2027.  Note: Due to the first night of Passover, this event is being held on the 4th Wednesday in April. 

    • Wednesday, May 19, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Hillcrest Country Club
    Our final, in-person event of the 2026-27 season concludes with Attorneys Anna K. Soliman & Kelly J. Cooksey providing us with an update and case studies about decanting.  Ms. Soliman is special counsel in the Tax, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group in Sheppard's Los Angeles office, and Ms. Cooksey is a Senior Counsel with Loeb & Loeb in Los Angeles.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Monday, May 10, 2027. 

    • Wednesday, June 16, 2027
    • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • ZOOM

    We'll end the 2026-27 season on a high note with Attorney Adam Streltzer, a former President of Estate Counselor Forum.  Adam's practice focuses on probate, estate, trust, and fiduciary litigation, with a special emphasis in creditor's rights and judgment enforcement.  So, no one could be better than Adam to educate us all about notices and guardians ad litem.

    This participatory program is approved for 1 hour of general MCLE credit, and 1 hour of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law legal specialization credit.

    Registration closes/closed on Friday, June 2, 2027. 

Past Events

(Note that presentation materials are only available to current members while logged in)

Not So Simple Preparation of Gift and GST Returns

Thuursday,  September 21, 2023

Presented by Abby Feinman

Gift Tax Return and GST Tax Return Prep 2023.pdf





For Additional Information, Please Contact:

David A. Wimmer, Esq. - President

los.angeles.ecf@gmail.com


Mailing Address

Estate Counselors Forum

2355 Westwood Blvd. #630

Los Angeles, California 90064 USA


Copyright © 2025

Estate Counselors Forum, A Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation exempt under IRC §501(c)(3).

All rights reserved.

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