Estate Planning Support Specialist (Conforming Specialty)

Position Summary

The Estate Planning Support Specialist is a member of the Estate Planning Document Management (EPDM) team. He/she provides administrative and substantive estate planning support to the Private Client Department (PCD), manages estate planning documents (e.g., wills, trust agreements, powers of attorney) during both the pre-execution and post-execution stages.

Primary Responsibilities

Post-Execution (Conforming)

Receive, review and process executed original estate planning documents; secure original documents for storage; prepare copies of executed documents suitable for client presentation (binders of paper copies, virtual PDF portfolio, etc.) and accompanying documentation; draft, revise and finalize cover letter; understand the Firm's billing systems and coordinate with Finance the inclusion of a final bill; assist with other administrative tasks related to estate planning (beneficiary change forms, insurance endorsements, etc.); report regularly as to status of work-in-process and maintain status logs; maintain will vaults and off-site storage system, and all records regarding location of stored original documents; serve as witness and/or Notary Public at document execution conferences (must maintain Notary Public commission in State of Connecticut).

Additional Responsibilities

Cross-training and support will be provided for the following additional responsibilities of the EPDM team as appropriate:

Pre-Execution (Document Drafting/Revising)

Revise and finalize estate planning documents, charts and letters; draft basic incapacity documents (health care directives, powers of attorney, etc.); draft basic estate planning documents (wills, trust agreements, etc.), and, with ongoing training and support, develop an understanding of estate planning concepts required to draft more complex documents if aptitude to do so exists; work with attorneys and legal administrative assistants to ascertain status of unexecuted estate plans, identify and resolve outstanding items and to "shepherd" the plan toward completion; process requests for new estate planning assignments, maintain and update tracking log and generate due date reminders.

Trust Administration

Receive, review and process executed trust agreements for administration; set up administration files and ascertain specific requirements needed for administration; for insurance/gifting trusts – attention to transactions associated with transferring insurance to trust or otherwise funding trust as needed; paying premiums and compliance with requirements for notification of withdrawal ("Crummey") rights; for QPRTs – attention to deed appraisal and transfer and follow-up requirements at trust termination; for GRATs – attention to gift tax requirements and roll-over of funds.

Education and Experience:

• Experience in trusts and estates or related field is a plus
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills
• Strong typing skills with high accuracy (minimum 55 wpm)
• Advanced word processing skills using Microsoft Word (use of styles, auto-numbering, document comparison, pagination, tables, charts, headers and footers, etc.)
• Ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks with competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to learn quickly and work independently with minimum supervision
• Strong sense of team work and the willingness to provide back-up support to other team members on a frequent basis
• Ability to maintain focus in a busy and shared work environment
• Ability to use good judgment and decision-making skills
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism, discretion and decorum
• Seeks training and advanced education to improve knowledge and skills
• Punctual and dependable
• Commissioned (or willing to obtain commission) as a Notary Public in Connecticut