Knowledge is power when it comes to being prepared for a spouse's death or a divorce, yet many clients don't even know the right questions to ask to access the information they need to insure their future financial security.  Although both spouses struggle with this problem, because of the prevalence of certain traditional gender roles, women in particular suffer the consequences of incomplete information when it comes to their rights and obligations upon death or divorce. 

Advisors can make themselves trusted resources for the women in their books by showing them the types of questions that they should be asking their professional advisors during the financial planning process, and guiding them to the key pieces of information that they should be looking for in the responses. 

Join Leslie Geller, a former tax and estate planning attorney, as she walks you through a hypothetical case study to highlight the potential pitfalls women may face upon the death of a spouse or divorce, the most important questions women should be asking to avoid these pitfalls, and the essential information women need to insure they feel empowered and prepared to manage their financial futures. Click here for speaker bio.

Learning Objectives: (1)  Understand the most common pitfalls that women face upon the death of a spouse or divorce, and why incomplete information is often the culprit, (2) Identify the key questions regarding rights and obligations upon death and divorce that women should be asking their estate planning attorneys, accountants and other professional advisors,  (3) Identify the information "guideposts" that women can use to insure they come away with the key information they need to prepare for their financial futures, and (4) Learn how a focus on guiding women clients through this information-gathering process demonstrates immediate and deep value-add and can help the advisor both retain current assets and acquire new ones across generations and through family transitions.

Level of Complexity: I ntermediate