Wednesday, September 26, 2007

"Pet Owners Planning" and PBI Course

As a teaching aid for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Call-In Course, "Estate Planning for Pets" scheduled for Friday, September 28, 2007, from 12 noon to 1:30 PM, I created a website, "Pet Owners Planning", available for course registrants.

A course description, with sign up information, was circulated by PBI last Friday, September 21, 2007, by email:

1.5 Total Substantive CLE Credits

Join Neil Hendershot and Professor Gerry Beyer as they explore the issues you need to know to help your clients plan for the future care of their pets. Professor Beyer is the national expert on planning for pets, as well as a recognized scholar on estate planning in general. He joins us from the Texas Tech University School of Law. This Call-In CLE will explore estate planning for pets both in Pennsylvania and nationally with a focus on Pennsylvania pet trust laws which are identical to those in the model Uniform Trust Code.

Friday, September 28, 2007; 12:00 - 1:30 pm
PBA member or member of any co. bar assn. $89/Nonmember $109

Please remember that 4 credits of the required 12 may be obtained through distance education. Distance education includes Call-In CLE, On-Line CLE and Podcasts.

Please note that only the person registered for the program may receive credit. Others may listen in, but if they wish to receive CLE credit they must register separately and call in on a different phone.

For more information about telephone seminars please see our FAQ page.

To register or receive additional information, please contact our customer service department at (800) 932-4637, or click here to register online.

Professor Beyer mentioned the course on the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog, which he authors, in a posting on September 24, 2007, entitled "Estate Planning for Pets Telephone Seminar":

PetsOn September 28, 2007, Neil Hendershot (editor of the PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog) and Gerry W. Beyer (Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law) will explore this issues important to estate planning for pet owners both in Pennsylvania and nationally.

The seminar entitled Estate Planning for Pets is sponsored by PBI. Follow the link for details about the program and registration information.

The program was also mentioned by another blogger, David M. Goldman, who authors the Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog, in his posting dated September 24, 2007, entitled "Pet Estate Planning Seminar".

I had mentioned the need for the seminar in prior postings. See: PA EE&F Law Blog postings Learning About "Estate Planning for Pets" (07/25/07), and Pets, as Property in PA, Need Planning (07/20/07).

During the hour & a half session, Gerry & I will discuss the reasons justifying special planning for owners of pets, and the development of laws. Then we will review techniques for short-term planning (during health of the owner), disability planning (during incapacity of the owner), and long-term planning (after the death of the owner). Gerry will mention some "current events", like Leona Helmsley and her dog "Trouble". Then we will review both the "statutory" form of "pet trust" and also a more "customized" version of a "pet trust". We will finish by reviewing other provisions that can be made in testamentary documents to distribute "companion animals" into a new environment with a new owner.

I recommend that you have access to a computer when you are on the telephone, listening to the course, so you can view the online materials that Gerry & I separately prepared, and access links that we provide.

If this topic interests you (or your clients), join us this coming Friday. You can register until a few minutes before the call begins, but, if you are interested, why wait?