Estate Planners To Gather In Seattle For 2016 Estate Planning Seminar
Submitted by: Flash Media Services
2016-10-14 00:01:57
Will discuss wills of famous people and what happens to digital assets when one dies, among other topics.
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (OPENPRESS) Shortly after pop star Prince died in April, it became apparent that he had no will. The same was true for deceased singers Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Sonny Bono, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, James Brown and Bob Marley, NFL quarterback Steve McNair and Martin Luther King Jr. Even President Abraham Lincoln died without a will!
This is not a good thing. And, unfortunately it's not that uncommon. According to a 2015 Rocket Lawyer survey, 64 percent of Americans don't have a will. When no will is in place, the laws of the land dictate how the deceased person's assets will be divvied up. Estate planners will gather in Seattle Nov. 7-8, 2016, to discuss the topic of famous people dying both with and without wills during the 61st annual Estate Planning Seminar. They will also dig into the wills of celebrities such as writer Tom Clancy, singers David Bowie and Whitney Houston, athlete Frank Gifford, coach Yogi Berra, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, comedian Joan Rivers and a few others to discuss what can be learned from their estate plans. Did the manner in which they structured their estates truly embody and achieve their objectives?
These estate planners will also discuss a multitude of other estate planning topics, including what to do with digital assets upon death, assuring that a deceased person's wishes are fulfilled, new challenges to opening an estate bank account and updates on federal and state estate tax laws.
"While the updates are critical to estate planners, the presenters are also providing ideas on the practical aspects of working with clients to implement their plans. I am really excited about the program of high-caliber national and local speakers and the mix of topics this year, and I am looking forward to a great seminar," said seminar chair Jolene Cox, CPA with Deloitte Tax LLP in Seattle.
Some 1,000 estate planners from Washington state and elsewhere in the country are expected to attend the seminar, which is hosted by the Estate Planning Council of Seattle and the University of Washington School of Law Graduate Program in Taxation. It takes place at the Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle. The seminar is one of the largest of its kind in the country and attracts top lawyers, accountants, insurance professionals, trust officers, financial planners, and planned giving/development officers for nonprofit organizations. See the full program here.
The seminar runs from 6:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Nov. 7 and from 7:15 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. Nov. 8. For more information about the Estate Planning Seminar, contact Heather Alhadeff at hla3@uw.edu or 206-616-3361. Register online at www.seattleestateplanningseminar.com.
About the Estate Planning Council of Seattle:
Originally founded in the early 1940s and one of the leading estate planning councils in the nation, the Estate Planning Council of Seattle is comprised of King County's top estate planning lawyers, financial planners, certified public accountants, trust officers and insurance agents. The council aims to promote the highest quality estate planning services in the Pacific Northwest by developing and improving the capabilities of its members, fostering cooperation among professionals, and by educating the public about estate planning matters. New members are welcome. Membership includes colleagues to network with at quarterly dinner meetings, helpful information about specific fields of expertise, and a welcoming organization that values high quality estate planning to help members of the community. For more information go to www.epcseattle.org.
About the University of Washington School of Law Graduate Program in Taxation:
The University of Washington graduate program in taxation provides a rigorous study of tax law leading to the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation. The UW School of Law is a highly-ranked law school in one of the premier research universities in the world, enabling the Tax LL.M. to draw faculty from a dynamic legal community. Courses are taught by nationally-recognized scholars and leading practitioners in their area of specialty who bring cutting-edge practice experience to the classroom. For more information go to https://www.law.washington.edu/apply/llm/tax
