S. Estate Planning – Estate and Gift Taxation

This course takes a practical approach to estate and gift planning. It will focus on tax driven strategies used to transfer wealth to the next generation and beyond as efficiently as possible, with an emphasis on the numerical underpinnings and relative effectiveness of various techniques. After a review of basic estate and gift tax concepts, we will consider commonly used planning structures and their applicability to specific situations. The course will be built around a case study of a hypothetical family, starting with the parents’ testamentary plan and moving through strategies that address specific family and charitable objectives.

The final grade will be based on the preparation of a memorandum setting forth a proposed comprehensive wealth transfer plan for the family around whose fact situation the course is structured.