Estate Planning Monthly: News, Views, and Practical Strategies –  March 2026: SLATs, Powell, AI, Note Sales, and More

This program examines how spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs) and related irrevocable planning techniques can unravel in the context of divorce, how advisers can mitigate those risks through thoughtful drafting, documentation, and client communication, and why refusing to use powerful tools out of fear may itself constitute poor advice. The discussion includes practical solutions such as trust division provisions, floating spouse clauses, hybrid DAPT and SPAT structures, trust protector mechanics, and informed consent strategies that protect both clients and advisers. How to better structure notes used in note sale or other family transactions. Assessing and addressing clients’ evaluation of risk. Using a special voting membership interest to address Powell and a practical approach to administering such a mechanism when distributions are to be made. The program also explores practical uses of artificial intelligence to improve client meetings, documentation, capacity assessment, and risk management without abdicating professional judgment. Designed for experienced professionals, this webinar emphasizes nuance, judgment, and real practice decisions rather than simplistic rules, offering concrete ideas you can apply immediately in your own advisory work.