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Costly Pitfalls in Old Estate Planning Documents (Completed)

2 CPE Credits $65.00/credit hour Friday, October 3, 2025 · 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0 (11 ratings)
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Estate planning best practices have evolved significantly over the past two decades, yet many clients fail to update their estate plans, often assuming their documents still align with their wishes. However, outdated provisions can lead to unintended estate and income tax consequences, even when the overall distribution plan remains the same.

This course examines formerly standard estate planning provisions that may now create tax inefficiencies and explores strategies to modernize outdated documents. Participants will also learn how to minimize income tax liability when charitable beneficiaries are included in estate plans.

A foundational understanding of estate and fiduciary income taxation will be beneficial for attendees looking to refine their approach to estate planning and tax mitigation.

Topics Covered

  • Traditional estate planning language based on outdated estate and income tax rules
  • Unintended tax consequences of using outdated provisions in today’s tax environment
  • Benefits of modernizing estate planning documents to align with current best practices
  • Strategies for minimizing estate and income tax by updating estate plans
  • Practical examples of tax-efficient estate plan modifications under current tax laws

Learning Objectives

  • Summarize key tax law changes over the past 25 years and their impact on estate planning
  • Identify outdated estate planning strategies and provisions that may lead to unintended tax consequences
  • Evaluate the importance of updating estate planning documents to align with current tax laws and best practices
  • Analyze potential tax savings that can be achieved by modifying an estate plan
  • Recommend estate planning techniques that optimize benefits under current estate and income tax rules

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Group: Internet-based

NASBA Field of Study
Taxes (2 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None

Instructor

Klaralee R. Charlton

Klaralee Charlton is a Partner at 3i Law in Denver, Colorado. She practices fiduciary tax, estate administration, and business transactional law. As part of her practice, she guides clients through the process of administering a loved one’s estate including the collection, valuation, management and transfer of assets including financial accounts, real estate, and business interests with a focus on minimizing estate and income tax liability. Klaralee also works closely with trustees of ongoing trusts to ensure compliance and prepares clients’ fiduciary income tax returns annually.

Klaralee has written and lectured on topics including estate and gift tax, fiduciary income tax reporting and U.S. regulations governing the valuation of small family businesses. She is an active member of the Colorado Bar Association, Tax Section and Adjunct Profession at the University of Denver, Graduate Tax Program.

She earned her J.D. in 2011 from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, her LL.M. in Tax Law from the University of Denver in 2013, and her B.A. in political science in 2009 from Bryn Mawr College. She is admitted to practice in both Colorado and Montana.
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