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Stuck in the Middle: The Ethics of Representing Couples in Estate Planning
March 19 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT
Webinar Description
It is not uncommon for an estate planning attorney to represent both spouses in the preparation of their estate plan. In fact, it’s a routine part of the practice. Most estate planning attorneys are aware that representing a married couple requires having a provision about the joint representation in the engagement letter; but we don’t often stop to think about the rules of legal ethics involved in representing both spouses, unless and until something goes wrong. Moreover, we don’t always consider how those same rules apply to some of the unique situations that can occur when representing unmarried couples. This webinar will look at the Model Rules of Professional Conduct implicated in representing couples, and consider their application in the context of possible scenarios that could occur when planning for married and unmarried couples.
Continuing Education Credits
InterActive Legal is not an approved Continuing Education (CE) Sponsor. However, several states and regulatory agencies for a variety of professionals that participate on our teleconferences may still receive continuing education credit for their participation. If a participant wishes to receive CE credit for their participation in these teleconferences, they must apply to receive credit on their own and through their individual states and regulatory authorities. It is the responsibility of the participant to file for CE credit and is not guaranteed by the webinar sponsors.
Speakers
Vanessa Kanaga currently serves as InterActive Legal’s Special Advisor on Estate Planning and Legal Strategy. She is the former CEO of InterActive Legal. Vanessa received her J.D. from Cornell Law School and holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Wichita State University, as well as an Advanced Professional Certificate from New York University School of Law. She is licensed in New York, Kansas, and Arizona, and currently lives in Arizona.
Prior to joining InterActive Legal in 2013, Vanessa practiced in New York, at Milbank LLP and Moses & Singer LLP, and in Kansas, at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC. She has experience in a range of estate planning matters, including high net worth tax planning and asset protection planning.
In 2024, Vanessa returned to the practice of law. She is Of Counsel at Becker and House, PLLC in Scottsdale, Arizona.