Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is designed to provide an overview of estate planning.   We will analyze the basic tools of estate planning, including wills, trusts, shared ownership, gifts and life insurance.  We will compare the advantages and disadvantages of each of these tools as they apply to the objectives clients desire to achieve in estate planning.
Students will be provided with information about the various types of ownership of property and will discuss how these types of ownership apply to estate planning. Students will be introduced to terminology specific to estate planning.  Attention will be directed to practical estate planning procedures as they apply to tasks most typically performed by legal assistants.
This is an elective course for either a certificate or a degree in the Paralegal program at Portland Community College.  Course work may include, but is not limited to, the use of texts, state statutes and rules, journal articles, lecture, group discussion and activities, guest speakers, and student presentations.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

1. Distinguish among the various types of property ownership, and identify and apply alternate estate planning techniques.
2. Prepare relevant estate planning documents, including such documents as a simple wills and trust documents.
3. Obtain appropriate and relevant information from clients in estate planning situations through use of checklists and other practice aids for estate planning.
4. Perform simple federal estate tax computations and complete appropriate forms for tax purposes.
5. Identify and apply ethical issues and requirements for paralegals working in estate planning.

Examinations, written assignments, and projects.

This course will address topics including, but not limited to

• Ownership of Property: Fee Simple, Tenancy in Common, Joint Tenancy, Estate by the Entirety, and Life Estates.
• Requirements for Testamentary Trusts
• Requirements for Living (Inter Vivos) Trusts
• Checklists for Interviewing Clients
• Gifts, Life Insurance, and Retirement Plans
• Qualifications and Duties of a Trustee
• Special Interests of Aging Clients
• Estate Taxes
• Basics of Guardianships and Conservatorships
• Right to Die and Other Death-Related Issues
• Tasks Typically Performed by a Legal Assistant in Estate Planning