Seminars

Palm Beach Gardens office now open

Phone: (203) 592-0878

Estate Planning Probate Asset Protection Business Counsel

new Fall 2021 Seminars

Why Estate Plans Fail: Part 1

One of the most common problems in estate planning, besides failing to have an estate plan, is the failure to structure your estate (everything you own) in a manner consistent with your wishes while you're alive. The value and ownership of assets, such as real property, accounts in financial institutions, retirement accounts, and investment accounts has significant implications for an estate plan, and even more so for those without estate plans.

In this presentation, Judge Calabrese will review commonly overlooked factors that affect what happens to property (bank accounts, real estate, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts) when their owner is incapacitated or passes away. He will also discuss how the type of ownership (sole, beneficiary designation, survivorship, trust) affects how assets are distributed both in and outside of probate after the owner passes away. Overlooking these issues can cause an estate plan to fail, with unanticipated (and potentially costly) outcomes inconsistent with the decedent’s wishes.

Judge Calabrese will also review options to avoid undesirable outcomes and. help you maintain control over your affairs should you become incapacitated or pass away.

Drawing on over 19 years on the bench as a Probate Judge and 25 years as a trusts and estates attorney, Dom Calabrese will review these all-too-common mistakes and how to avoid them. If you are interested in attending, please contact the venue listed below to register.

Schedule

Wednesday, September 22, 2021. 1:00 pm. Washington, Connecticut Senior Center (860) 868-0735

Friday, September 24, 2021 1:00 pm. Woodbury, Connecticut Senior Center (203) 263-2828

Seminars

Helpful Information

These 45 minute presentations focus on various estate planning and probate topics. All are directed to the general public in easy to understand language. Questions from the audience are welcome during and after each presentation.

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule any presentation for your group or organization. Presentations are always informational, free of charge and non promotional.

Livings Trusts: Myth versus Reality

Living trusts are one of the most versatile estate planning tools available. Unfortunately, unscrupulous purveyors of "one size fits all" living trust products often make misleading claims to sell their questionable (and sometimes useless) products. Domenick Calabrese, Judge of the Region 22 Probate District and Administrative Judge of the Waterbury Regional Children's Court will carefully review some of the myths of living trusts and share the reality of what may and may not be accomplished with living trusts. Judge Calabrese will answer questions from the audience in this informal discussion.

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule this presentation for your group or organization. Presentations are always informational, free of charge and non promotional.

Beware! POAs, Trusts and Liability

It's common for people to serve as an agent under a power of attorney, trustee of a trust, or any of a number of other fiduciary roles. Unfortunately, acting under this kind of authority is fraught with civil and even potential criminal liability. Particularly for those who choose to not retain legal counsel at the start, the consequences of exceeding their authority or engaging in conflicts of interest create legal quagmires that may involve court proceedings and even protracted litigation.

In this presentation, Domenick Calabrese, Judge of the Region 22 Probate District and Administrative Judge of the Waterbury Regional Children's Court will review the role of agents under powers of attorney, trustees, administrators, guardians, executors and conservators. The presentation will include things that should be avoided by fiduciaries, why legal counsel is necessary, and how to choose an attorney.

Estate Taxes

Both Connecticut and the federal government have radically altered the estate tax effective January 1, 2018. Estate tax is complex; rates and exemptions can be drastically different from one year to another. Judge Domenick Calabrese of the Region 22 Probate District reviews Connecticut and federal estate taxes, outlining exemptions, the marital deduction, persons subject to estate tax, property subject to estate tax, and tax rates.

Probate: Myths, Misconceptions and Mistakes

This 2-part seminar examines issues such as ownership of motor vehicles, real property owned in survivorship, need for a will, out of state real property, interest in limited liability companies, burial and funeral arrangements in wills, failure to name beneficiaries for life insurance and retirement accounts, probate fees, “avoiding” probate, and failure to fund a living trust. Judge Calabrese reviews the consequences to heirs and beneficiaries and the implications for probate proceedings.

Asset Protection

Judge Calabrese dispels common misperceptions of asset protection. He succinctly describes the goals of asset protection, how it works, and why most people - not only the very wealthy - can benefit from an asset protection plan. Judge Calabrese also reviews the context of asset protection relative to creditor claims, highlights a select group of common asset protection tools, and provides an example of different approaches to protect a specific asset.

Seminars

Incapacity, Conservatorships and the Probate Court

While many people plan for the transfer of assets at death by creating wills, few are aware of the options and importance of planning for legal incapacity. Legal incapacity can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Wills have no utility during the will creator’s lifetime, including when they become incapacitated. The ability to deal with the incapacitated person’s financial and personal affairs may require court intervention. Planning for incapacity can minimize the stress and uncertainty families face when a loved one becomes incapacitated.

Connecticut probate courts deal with issues of incapacity regularly with guardianships, conservatorships, and commitments. Judge Calabrese discusses legal incapacity, the role of the probate court, conservatorships, and legal tools to plan for incapacity. He also answers questions from the audience on the topic.

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule any presentation for your group

The New Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act

In both 2016 and 2017 Connecticut passed the most significant changes to powers of attorney in over a decade. In this presentation, Judge Calabrese discusses those changes, and how powers of attorney can be used as part of a plan for incapacity. Areas covered include new fiduciary powers, third party recognition of powers of attorney, shortcomings and advantages of powers of attorney.

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule any presentation for your group.

Estate Planning

In this free seminar, Judge Calabrese discusses the purposes of estate planning, including asset management, transferring assets during life and after death, estate tax planning, and planning for incapacity. He also examines how wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and designations of conservator may be used to create a comprehensive estate plan.

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule any presentation for your group.

Probate: Myths, Misconceptions and Mistakes

Call (203) 592-0878 or complete the contact form on this website to schedule any presentation for your group