Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar. 

Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.


Tuesday, September 30, 2025
8:30 am – 4:30 pm CDT


Agenda:

Assisting with Estate Planning
Presented by Melissa R. Taylor

  • Identifying the goals of the estate plan: planning for retirement, planning for long term care, planning for the distribution of the estate, tax planning
  • Gathering and organizing necessary information for the estate plan
    • Estate planning, interviews, and questionnaires
  • Using standard estate planning documents to create the estate plan
    • Wills, trusts, powers, or attorney and advance directives
  • Implementing the estate plan
    • Executing and distributing documents, funding issues

Assisting with Guardianships and Conservatorships
Presented by Elizabeth Cutter

  • Using less restrictive alternatives to guardianship: durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, living trusts
  • Establishing a guardianship: determination of incompetence, appointment of guardian
  • Establishing the powers and duties of guardians
    • Guardian of the person, guardian of the estate
  • Filing the required documents during the existence of the guardianship
  • Terminating the guardianship

Handling Ethical Issues in Estate Planning and Probate Practice
Presented by Elizabeth Cutter

  • Identifying your client and avoiding conflicts of interest
  • Handling issues of client competence
  • Identifying and reporting abuse and/or neglect

Assisting in the Probate Process
Presented by Tina Johnson

  • Reviewing the probate process and its alternatives
  • Collecting information on the decendent, beneficiaries, assets and debts
  • Preparing necessary documents to begin the probate process
    • Naming the personal representative, filing the petition, schedules and inventory
  • Handling creditors’ claims
    • Preparing public notices, classifying debts, disputing claims
  • Closing the estate
    • Preparing the final account
    • Making distributions, obtaining releases, closing your file

Assisting with the Administration of Estate Assets
Presented by Tina Johnson and Nicolette (“Niki”) Homan

  • Collecting assets
  • Setting up the estate’s checking account
  • Valuing assets
  • Preserving assets
  • Liquidating, transferring, and distributing assets

 

Webinar Instructions 
 
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited. 

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher. 

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email. 

GoToWebinar App requirements:  
Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher, Linux, Google Chrome OS 

Web Browser:  
Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions) 
Microsoft Edge (most recent 3 versions) 

Internet connection: 1 Mbps or better 

Hardware:  2GB of RAM (minimum), 4GB or more of RAM (recommended) 

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com 

Credits

Paralegals
6.5 CLE Hours (Including 1.0 Ethics Hour)

NFPA - National Federation of Paralegal Associations
6.5 CLE Credits (Including 1.0 Ethics Credit)

 

Continuing Education Information

This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 6.5 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hour, for paralegals. Paralegal certification is not required to participate in this course.

This webinar has been approved by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) for 6.5 total CLE credits, which includes 5.5 general CLE credits and 1.0 ethics CLE credit. 

Courses approved by the NFPA can be used to renew the Minnesota Certified Paralegal (MnCP) credential.

Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).

*On-Demand Credits*

The preceding credit information only applies to the live presentation. This course in an on-demand format is not pre-approved by any licensing boards and may not qualify for the same credits; please consult your licensing board(s) to ensure that a structured, asynchronous learning format is appropriate. 

Speakers

Elizabeth Cutter

Attorney, Mediator / Arbitrator, Gilbert Mediation Center, Ltd., Eden Prairie

Judge Cutter was a district court judge in Hennepin County from January 2013 – March 2022. She was the assistant presiding judge in the Criminal Division, the presiding judge in Probate Mental Health Court, and assigned in Family Court. Since retiring, Judge Cutter has been a mediator, arbitrator, and special master with Gilbert Mediation in Eden Prairie. She works primarily in Family and Probate law. Before joining the bench, Judge Cutter worked for the Minnesota Attorney General and the Hennepin County Attorney. She has done training for judges, prosecutors, and NGOs in several countries as a volunteer for the Advocates for Human Rights and Global Rights for Women. Judge Cutter continues to work as a senior judge throughout the state.

Nicolette (“Niki”) Homan

Paralegal in the Estate Planning Group at Maslon LLP in Minneapolis

With over 20 years of experience in the legal field, Ms. Homan has worked in a variety of practice areas, but her true passion lies in probate and trust administration. At Maslon, she is involved in all phases of trust and estate administrations – from the initial client meeting to preparation of the final account and closing documents. Prior to joining Maslon, Ms. Homan worked at Bremer Bank as a trust and estate administrator in their estate settlement team.

Tina Johnson

PACE® Registered Paralegal with Maslon LLP in Minneapolis

Ms. Johnson has over 25 years of experience assisting with all aspects of estate and trust administrations, including drafting probate documents, transferring assets, and preparing annual accountings, as well as preparing and filing estate tax and fiduciary income tax returns. She is Certification Ambassador Chair for the Minnesota Paralegal Association and serves as the NFPA Director of Paralegal Certification. In 2020, Ms. Johnson received the MPA Barb Peppersack Lifetime Service award for her dedication, leadership, and years of experience as a paralegal. In addition, she actively presents on topics related to probate and trust administrations for the Minnesota CLE, including updating chapters within the Estate Administration Deskbook.

Melissa R. Taylor

Attorney with Cummins & Bonestroo Law Office in Stillwater

Ms. Taylor is admitted to practice in Minnesota. She focuses primarily on estate planning and probate and trust administration. Prior to joining Cummins & Bonestroo, Ms. Taylor represented clients in family law litigation matters. As a result, she understands the importance of listening to a client’s goals and concerns, while brainstorming practical solutions that will work for their families. Ms. Taylor lives on a hobby farm in Wisconsin with her husband and daughter, and their cats and goats.