All half day quarterly MA Forum Educational programs are free for current members in good standing. The fee for non-member attorneys is $55 per person. All attendees should register ahead of time for a proper head count for planning purposes.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please send a message to us via: board@maforumepa.com. Please recall that we are a purely volunteer-only Board of actively-practicing attorneys. We thank you in advance for your (and your team/staff members') courteous patience while you wait for our reply.
WINTER 2020
Topic: Panel Discussion of the Secure Act
Date: February 7, 2020
Time: 8:30AM to 12:30AM
We provided a summary overview of the new law and the most relevant sections and implications for estate planners and their clients' retirement assets. We then discussed possible strategies and tools we can use to adapt to these changes for our clients' best interests. We had a facilitated, roundtable discussion regarding best practices for counseling our existing clients about these changes and our suggestions. Then we capped off the meeting with some suggestions for collaborating with our clients' other professional advisors, including their financial advisors and CPAs, to ensure that we are considering all the possible approaches and implications for our clients' legal, financial, and tax planning, together.
SUMMER 2020
Topic: Wealth Tracx
Date: Friday, July 17, 2020
Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Wealth Tracx Training Parts 1 & 2
Wealth Tracx is a comprehensive Trust Administration solution featuring customizable tools, resources, and a robust library of documents specifically geared for a streamlined, efficient trust administration process for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In Part 1 of this training users reviewed and learned about the Overview, Trust Summary, Parties, Important Dates, and Tasks tabs of the solution. In Part 2 of this training, users learned how to enter Asset and Liability information, how to use the Ledger functionality for assets that are accounts, and tips for the most effective automated generation of 140+ Documents and Reports.
Lissa Bealke-Moore - WealthCounsel LLC
Open Discussion
Participants shared their favorite takeaways from the Advanced Estate Planning Summit and asked questions, shared experiences, and brainstormed on solutions to issues that arise in their practices.
George Constant - Constant Law Group, P.C.
Practical Applications Lab
This webinar highlighted key features and best practices for drafting with Wealth Docx® and Wealth Tracx™, two of WealthCounsel’s trusts and estates solutions. We specifically applied several of the concepts discussed during WealthCounsel’s Advanced Estate Planning Summit held on Thursday, July 16, 2020. Existing WealthCounsel members and those interested in learning more about WealthCounsel’s trusts and estates solutions were invited to attend.
Specific topics included:
- Drafting with trust protector provisions using Wealth Docx®
- Using Wealth Tracx™ to ensure that attorneys meet their ethical duties in assisting fiduciary clients in post-death administrations
- Planning with retirement assets using a Wealth Docx® revocable living trust or stand-alone retirement trust in light of the SECURE Act
- Drafting options for grantor retained annuity trusts in Wealth Docx®
Jennifer Davenport - WealthCounsel LLC
SPRING 2020
Topic: "Shifting Landscape & the New Normal"
Date: October 23, 2020
Time: 9:00AM to 11:30AM
Our first Zoom Virtual meeting included topics such as:
- How to conduct signings during the pandemic (e.g., virtual notarization, drive-bys)
- How and when to reopen your office to employees/staff
- How and when to reopen your office for in-person client meetings
- How to market the new "normal" to clients and prospects
- Tips and suggestions for remote workspace
After presenting each topic, attendees separated into virtual groups to discuss and share ideas and report feedback on what was learned to the attendees.
FALL 2020
Topic: "Online Marketing for Estate Planning Attorneys - During Pandemic-times and Beyond"
Date: October 23, 2020
Time: 9:00AM to 11:30AM
Our Zoom Virtual meeting featured Francis McGovern, founder of Qlegal, who presented tips on Search Engine Optimization, Blogging, Social Media, Video, and Website Reviews to improve visibility for your firm now and into the future.
In addition to the substantive legal program, the Forum also conducted its Annual Meeting and voted on members for the Board's new term.
The nominees, as submitted by the nominating committee, were:
The slate for the class of 2022:
- Amy Antonellis, Esq.
- Paul Bernstein, Esq.
- Allen Margulis, Esq.
- Danielle G. Van Ess, Esq.
- Maria Baler, Esq.
- Brandon Walecka, Esq.
For the class of 2021:
- Holly Lemieux, Esq.
- William Smyth, Esq.