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Course Details

Course Information
  • smart_display Format

    Live Online with Live Q&A

  • signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level

    Beginner

  • work Practice Area

    Estate Planning

Date & Time
  • event Date

    Tuesday, July 15, 2025

  • schedule Time

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

  • timer Program Length

    60 minutes

Credit Information

  • This 60-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.0 CLE credits.

$147.00
CLE
ALL

This CLE webinar will provide trusts and estates counsel and advisers guidance for navigating the processes for closing an estate. The panel will discuss marshaling assets, final accounting, fiduciary duties, asset distribution, and other required steps and procedures to properly close an estate. The panel will also provide insight on federal and state taxation and required forms.

Faculty

Matthew A. Bourque
Managing Attorney
RMO, LLP

Mr. Bourque serves as Managing Attorney of RMO LLP’s Dallas and Houston offices. He focuses his practice on representing heirs, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, creditors, and other interested parties in contested probate, trust, guardianship, and financial elder abuse cases. Mr. Bourque primarily handles probate litigation matters including will contests, fiduciary litigation to recover misfunded, misapplied or misappropriated estate and trust funds, community property claims, executor and trustee removal proceedings, compelled distribution of estate and trust assets, trust accounting lawsuits, competing applications for guardianship, and establishment of common-law marriage and adoption-by-estoppel. He also has significant experience handling commercial litigation incidental to probate matters.

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Description

The closing and settlement of an estate can be complicated with a multitude of items to consider by attorneys such as marshaling and settling assets and debts, valuation and final accounting issues, distributions, and handling challenges from beneficiaries. Attorneys must understand the estate closing and settlement processes and nuances in applicable federal and state law in order to properly close an estate.

Generally, settling and closing an estate after an individual's death requires the fiduciary to address certain issues and follow specific procedures to distribute the decedent's assets. This process can involve complications stemming from the marshaling, valuation, and distribution of assets which may result in claims from beneficiaries and creditors. Estate counsel must understand a variety of legal and procedural challenges to properly account for any potential issues in settling and closing an estate and avoid liability for fiduciaries and beneficiaries.

Listen as our panel discusses the steps in the estate closing and settlement process, the marshaling of assets, valuations, distributions, accounting and taxation, and other critical items that must be considered.

Outline

I. Fiduciary duties and liability

II. Marshaling assets and making distributions

III. Federal and state taxes and final tax returns

IV. Best practices and pitfalls to avoid

Benefits

The panel will discuss these and other key issues:

  • What are the fiduciary duties and pitfalls to avoid in closing an estate?
  • What issue may arise in marshaling assets and making distributions?
  • How do you manage issues or challenges from beneficiaries?
  • Navigating accounting and necessary tax forms and filings
  • What are the most common obstacles in closing an estate and methods in handling them?