Estate Counselors Forum upcoming events

Property Taxes - Matthew Burke, Esq. (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 01:00:00 GMT

Join us for our first meeting of the 2026-27 season as Attorney Matthew Burke takes us to school about Property Taxes.

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 Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Tales from the Crypt of a Former Trust Officer -- Alla Kutz & Lauriann Wright (Wednesday, October 21, 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMT

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 Monday, November 9, 2026.

Charitable Giving -- Carol Bradford Worley, Esq. (Wednesday, November 18, 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 02:00:00 GMT

The holidays will soon be upon us, and our thoughts naturally turn to charitable giving. And, who better to teach us all about Charitable Giving than our very own Carol Bradford Worley, JD, AEP, General Counsel and Assistant Board Secretary of the California Community Foundation.

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.

Portability -- Maggie Wilson, Esq. & Kristina Meyer, CPA (Wednesday, January 20, 2027)

Thu, 21 Jan 2027 02:00:00 GMT

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.

Estate Planning Considerations for Retirement Assets Post-SECURE by Erica B. Deutsch, Esq. (Wednesday, February 17, 2027)

Thu, 18 Feb 2027 02:00:00 GMT

Attorney Erica B. Deutsch is the Founding Partner of Beacon, LLP in Pasadena. Her legal practice focuses on tax, estate and business-succession planning for a wide variety of clients. Because of the SECURE Act, Erica will educate us about estate-planning considerations for one's retirement assets.

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, February 8, 2027.

Frozen Futures: Estate Planning in the Age of Assisted Reproduction -- Amira Hasenbush, Esq. (Wednesday, March 17, 2027)

Thu, 18 Mar 2027 01:00:00 GMT

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.

A Probate Potpourri: Persuading Judges, Admitting Evidence, Mediation Resolutions - Judge Mary Thornton House (ret.) (Wednesday, April 28, 2027)

Thu, 29 Apr 2027 01:00:00 GMT

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 Monday, April 19, 2027. Note: Due to the first night of Passover, this event is being held on the 4th Wednesday in April.

Decanting - An Update & Case Studies by Anna K. Soliman, Esq. & Kelly J. Cooksey, Esq. (Wednesday, May 19, 2027)

Thu, 20 May 2027 01:00:00 GMT

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.

Notice & Guardians Ad Litem - Adam Streltzer, Esq. (Wednesday, June 16, 2027)

Thu, 17 Jun 2027 01:00:00 GMT

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 Monday, June 7, 2027.