Tax & Estate Planning Knowledge Circle: Estate Planning During Divorce

5 (1 vote)

Many practitioners think that a person is prohibited from doing estate planning during divorce because of the automatic temporary restraining orders (“ATROs”) in place. Janet and Mark will explore what changes to estate documents and design can and cannot be performed while under the jurisdiction of the Family Court. With the growing demographic of “gray divorce”, they will also demonstrate unintended consequences of a spouse dying during the proceedings and what proactive steps can be taken to benefit your client.

Mark Prendergast, MS, CPA, CFP®, CDFA®, MSAP®

Director of Tax Strategies

Inspired Financial

Mark Prendergast is the Director of Tax Strategies at Inspired Financial, a comprehensive financial planning firm in Huntington Beach, California, where he heads up the divorce consulting department. He is a practicing CDFA®, CPA, and CFP® and has given numerous continuing education presentations for a variety of organizations, including the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA), the Financial Planning Association (FPA), California Society of CPAs, Wealth Counsel, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

He started his career with the international accounting firms Ernst & Young (then Ernst & Whinney) and Price Waterhouse having attained the position of tax manager. He is married to Evelyn Zohlen, the 2019 president of the Financial Planning Association, who is also the founder of Inspired Financial.

Janet E Dockstader, JD, CFLS

Founder

Dockstader Orliczky

Janet is the founder of Dockstader Orliczky, a firm that specializes in family law, in Seal Beach, California. She has the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent from Martindale-Hubble. She is certified by the State Bar of California of Legal Specialization as a certified specialist in family law (“CFLS”), a distinction held by less than one percent of all attorneys in California. Janet is well experienced in the courtroom and has strong litigation skills, and has a favorable reputation among local judges and attorneys.