We Provide Complimentary Continuing Education Seminars for Professional Advisors

At Truman Heartland, we are passionate about connecting professional advisors with the expertise they need to provide excellent service to their clients. We help advisors to better support their charitably minded clients, to help them build the legacy they are meant to. 

Spring 2025 | Thursday May 15, 2025 | 9am-12pm

"MY ESTATE PLANNING ERA: 

KISS in 2025 | Can we keep it simple (why do I feel so) stupid?"

Presented by:  

Melinda M. (Mindy) Ward, JD

Partner at Spencer Fane LLP

Midwest Public Risk
19400 E Valley View Pkwy.
Independence, MO 64055
MAP

Learning Objectives

1)   Thorough overview of the probate process and identify numerous potential probate avoidance techniques 

2)   Review of the revocable trust (post-death) administration process

3)   Discussion of charitable giving for income and estate tax planning

4)   Extensive question and answer session

About this Presentation

In this new era of high estate tax exemptions, fewer clients need pure estate tax planning, but most clients still require estate planning.  The number of “simple” clients is dwindling with new and difficult assets, aggressive (and sometimes unrealistic) client goals, blended families, changes in what families look like, and an increasing wealth in retirement accounts, all of which make our probate rules onerous and antiquated.  

This session will provide a detailed overview of the specific instances an individual may be “stuck” in the probate court and how to spot potential probate issues in advance as well as techniques for avoiding probate including beneficiary designations, jointly titling assets and the use of revocable trusts. 

In addition, charitable giving will be discussed for both income tax planning and estate planning purposes, including the plethora of often overlooked uses for donor advised funds.  

Finally, ample time will be allowed for a question-and-answer session from a seasoned estate planning professional willing to share insight and experience (without making you feel stupid).

About our Presenter

Melinda (Mindy) Ward provides clients with a high level of efficient service and expertise in complex estate, business, and gift and tax planning issues. She is well-versed in handling wills and trusts, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations, irrevocable trusts, charitable trusts, and other sophisticated estate and business planning devices. 

In addition, Mindy advises clients in all types of fiduciary controversies, administers estates and trusts, and prepares federal and state individual, estate, gift, corporate, and generation-skipping tax returns, as well as fiduciary income tax returns for estates and trusts.

A member of the Kansas City Estate Planning Society and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

(Taxation and Probate Committees), Mindy is admitted to the Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado bars. She was the first recipient of the Estate Planning Society Award and is a past co-chair of the Greater Kansas City Leave a Legacy. She has been featured as a speaker at numerous seminars on estate planning probate, and ethics.

Mindy was selected as a Missouri & Kansas Rising Star from 2008 to 2013 and has regularly been named a Super Lawyer in the years since. Most recently, she was selected as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Missouri and Kansas, and made the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Kansas City list 2015-2018. She is also rated as an AV Preeminent Lawyer by her peers.

While attending law school at UMKC, Mindy served on the Law Review and the Urban Lawyer and graduated at the top of her class.

MO Bar CLE and CFP Board credits are available.