SOUTH REGION - North Texas Local group will host two CE sessions on January 15, 2026.
For more information, visit the North Texas Local Group community page.
Session One: Beyond Beneficiary Designations: Understanding Client Asset Ownership Structures and Trust Planning
Most clients arrive at an estate planning attorney having already made critical ownership and beneficiary designation decisions without fully understanding their consequences—decisions that can undermine even the most carefully crafted financial plans. Financial advisors need to understand how joint ownership structures, beneficiary designations, and trust provisions actually function in practice to help clients avoid common pitfalls and coordinate legal planning with wealth transfer strategies. This session will examine the practical implications of various ownership arrangements, decode common trust structures for children and young adults, and explore how probate realities should inform proactive planning conversations. Advisors will leave equipped to identify red flags in client asset titling, ask better questions about trust provisions, and collaborate more effectively with estate planning attorneys.
Speaker: Ellen Daniel Williamson, JD
Ellen began practicing law in 2004. In 2013, she founded Ellen Williamson Law, PC. Since then, she has dedicated her work to helping others with estate planning, probate, and guardianship matters. BBA, Texas A&M University, 2001; JD, SMU Dedman School of Law, 2004
Ellen stays current on legal developments through memberships in organizations like the Dallas Bar Association’s Probate Trust & Estates Section and the Texas Bar College. Ellen is also a member of the inaugural class of the Dallas Probate American Inn of Court, a group of probate and estate planning attorneys and judges focused on professional excellence, mentoring, continued learning, and community service.
Session Two: Financial Health & Wellness: Managing Family Wealth Dynamics
Transitions are challenging, especially when navigating changes in socioeconomic class. This session explores the complexities of financial transitions through a systemic lens. The presenters will share strategies for identifying key elements of effective family meetings and guide participants in differentiating types of wealth accumulation and the behaviors they inspire.
Speaker: Jared Pickens, CFP, Director of M.S. PFP Program, Associate Professor of Practice
Dr. Jared Pickens is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University. He also serves as Director of the Master of Science in Financial Planning program. Dr. Pickens holds graduate-level training in behavioral economics and brings over seven years of private sector experience focusing on divorce and blended family financial planning. Dr. Pickens has trained future financial professionals for more than fifteen years. He has also developed and delivered specialized curricula to train peer financial coaches in effective financial counseling strategies.