Technical Information
Live webinars allow you to hear faculty and see their presentation slides, and ask questions by chat. There is no video feed of the presenter(s). You will need a current web browser (Chrome (Chrome works best), Safari, Firefox), a wired (better than wireless) connection to the Internet of at least 2 Mbps. You can test your internet speed/bandwidth here. If you miss the live program, you can access the archive, at your convenience, for 60 days.
This program will be of interest to lawyers practicing in the areas of wills and estates, including drafting and litigation counsel.
Challenges to testamentary documents can be time-consuming and costly to resolve, reducing the value of the estate and proving heartbreaking for everyone involved. While litigation cannot be completely avoided, there are simple client counselling and drafting tools that estate planners can use to reduce the likelihood of a will contest and ensure the testator’s intentions are successfully carried out. This program, with experienced estates lawyer Lynne Butler, will review steps to take, and avoid, during the planning and drafting stages of testamentary documents that will help safeguard your client’s wishes and minimize later litigation risk. From the first meeting to final document execution, Lynne will discuss the risks inherent in estate planning transactions and share reminders of how even the most basic practices, when not followed properly, can undo a well-designed estate plan. Topics will include commonly litigated issues in will contests, recognizing high risk situations for conflicts, preventative measures to avoid disputes, and drafting documents where a challenge is expected. By anticipating possible areas of challenge and using proactive drafting and defensive documentation techniques, you can help your clients create valid, effective testamentary documents that discourage disputes and ensure their estate plan remains intact. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to prevent challenges to testamentary documents!
Lynne Butler is a lawyer, mediator, and writer. She graduated from UBC Law School and was called to the Bar in Alberta in 1986. After more than 20 years, thousands of wills drawn and hundreds of estates probated, Lynne joined the estates department of a leading trust company for a further seven years. She now practises law in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, working exclusively in wills, estates, probate, elder law, and trusts. Lynne has been interviewed by Global TV, BNN, CBC Radio, the Wall Street Journal, the Globe & Mail, the Vancouver Province, the Edmonton Journal, the Toronto Star and the Montreal Gazette, among other media. She is the former co-host of The Law Show and is the author of ten books about estate planning. She was the reviewer for Newfoundland and Labrador for LexisNexis Drafting Wills in Canada: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide, 3rd Edition. She has chaired the Wills and Estates Section of the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar Admissions Course since 2019.