Join us at our Member Meeting
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Elder Law Essentials: How to Structure the Elder Estate Plan to Anticipate the Problems that Undo the Plan
Amy L. Gostanian, Esq.
The Estate Lawyers, APC
Whittier Trust
4695 MacArthur Court, Suite 1500, Newport Beach, CA 92660
11:30am - Networking
12:00pm - 1:00pm - Program
This practical, credit-eligible session equips STEP practitioners to spot elder-law risk and run a defensible planning process, so the client’s wishes are respected, and post-death litigation is minimized. We’ll focus on capacity and voluntariness documentation (consult do’s and don’ts, and when/how to obtain a physician capacity letter—what good vs. bad letters look like), meeting and signing protocols (clean room, disinterested witnesses, handling “client-brought notes,” timing and accommodations for memory impairment while honoring task-specific capacity), and file/engagement safeguards (retainer language for potential testimony, communications logs, and post-execution memos). We’ll still cover core structuring choices (powers of attorney, health care directives, trustee selection, beneficiary coordination), but with an emphasis on preemptive steps that reduce financial elder-abuse risk and make the plan harder to attack. Attendees leave with concise checklists, scripts, and drafting clauses they can use immediately.
Dede Soto
The Soto Law Group, APC
Newport Beach, California
Amy is the founder of The Estate Lawyers. Amy opened the Firm (Formerly the Law Offices of Amy Gostanian PC/Gostanian Law Group, PC) in June 2005 with the fervent desire to help people solve legal problems through tenacious advocacy. For more than a decade, Amy has sought out other superstar talent that have a passion for helping people during incapacity and death. She has strategically sought out knowledgeable individuals to provide our clients with the very best legal counsel.
Amy was certified as an Estate Planning and Trust Specialist by the California State Bar in 2010. Amy has effectively drafted, administered, and litigated numerous estates, bringing her clients positive results and zealous effective advocacy during a difficult time. Amy is thoughtful and strategic from the beginning to the end of a client's case- whether it is estate planning, administration, or litigation.
Amy is a member of the American Bar Association, the California Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Associations and is certified to appear in California State and Federal Court. Amy was the former chair for the Orange County Bar Association- Conservatorship Section and a speaker for multiple panels for the OCBA. Amy is one of a small handful of attorneys in Orange County recognized as a SuperLawyer in Trust and Estate Litigation from 2020-2023.
Objectives of the program:
- Identify and document capacity, voluntariness, and undue-influence risk using triage tools, client questioning, and physician letters that hold up.
- Run low-risk intake and signing appointments to strengthen enforceability and deter abuse.
- Integrate post-execution file and engagement safeguards to minimize disputes and protect the practitioner.
There are no prerequisites for this program.
There is no required advanced preparation.
The Program Level for this will be intermediate.
Delivery Method: Group Live
Prerequisites and Program Content:
There are no prerequisite education or prior experience needed for any of STEP Orange County’s meetings or events. All sponsored events are relevant learning objectives to assist in the continuing education for MCLE and CPE. All levels are encouraged to participate and all participants will take away knowledge regarding the subject matter. There is also no advanced preparation needed for any of the meetings or events.The field of study for this program is Taxes and will be delivered by Group Live & Group Internet Based.
STEP Orange County is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE Credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsored may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org
Compliant/Refund Resolution Policy:
For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaints and refunds, please contact Greg Custer or other Board Members of STEP Orange County.
Anna Fedosova: (949) 375-3442