This is the sixth in a series of blogs on How to Practice in Estate Planning. I’ll sprinkle this series in among my typical timely blogs. This series is designed for attorneys who are currently practicing in another field and wish to transition to Estate Planning and Elder Law. However, many of the suggestions in this series will be equally applicable to a new attorney who is not transitioning from another area.
Step Six
Step One was learning how to approach the practice of law as a business. Step Two was learning the basic substantive knowledge you need to practice in the estate planning area. Step Three is having forms upon which you can rely and a person or people whom you can consult for counsel. Step Four is avoiding analysis paralysis and actually applying what you’ve learned. Step Five is joining local Estate Planning and Elder Law chapters and attending those events. Step Six is to subscribe to estate planning publications and follow blogs that will help you in your estate planning practice.
You will want some basic research platform for you to conduct research. You may want to subscribe to a service like Checkpoint from Thomson Reuters. As part of that service, you can have access to various treatises and magazines. One magazine of interest, whether through Checkpoint, or otherwise, is the Estate Planning Journal by WG&L. If you are a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), you will receive their publications, including the NAELA Journal, which can be quite good. Trusts & Estates is another publication which will keep you abreast of the trends in the practice of estate planning.
There are several blogs of interest in estate planning. Of course, you already know that my blog and the other blogs of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, are invaluable to an estate planning practice. In addition, you may want to follow the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog, by Texas Tech University School of Law Professor Gerry Beyer. The ABA has an exhaustive list of blogs in the Trusts & Estates area. But, don’t forget Step Four and get too mired in the numerous blogs.
In the next blog in this series, I’ll discuss Step Seven, which is the related subject matter areas you need to learn.
Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M.
Associate Director of Education
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com
- Double Your Gifting with Spousal Gift-Splitting - January 11, 2022
- Tax Planning for 2022 - December 28, 2021
- Donor Advised Funds: Too Good to Be True? - August 10, 2021
