Protecting Attorneys from Accepting or Litigating Electronically Altered or Fabricated Estate Documents

Presented by:

M. Patricia Fisher

Board Certified Document Examiner

___________________________________________

Presentation Summary:

Locating the original probate documents is often difficult.  According to LegalZoom, 52% of people don’t know where the Decedent’s estate planning documents are stored.  This leaves an opportunity for predators to create the missing estate documents that often include the estate’s assets.

Attorneys will see an increase in copies of estate documents rather than originals, and the likelihood of these documents being electronically altered or fabricated is becoming more common.

This presentation will raise awareness of the different methods predators are currently using to create estate documents.  Attorneys can take steps to protect themselves from their own clients and opposing counsels who may be proffering electronically altered or fabricated documents.

Learning Objectives:

Raise awareness when electronically manipulated documents are submitted by your client or opposing counsel.
Identify red flags that estate documents have been electronically manipulated.
What steps to take when estate documents are potentially electronically manipulated.

About Our Speaker:

M. Patricia Fisher is a Board Certified Document Examiner with over 35 years specializing in the examination of estate documents including trusts, wills, holographic wills, health care directives, deeds to property and other documents related to the estate’s assets.  She also specializes in questioned documents in financial elder abuse cases. To date, she has worked on over 1000 cases involving estate documents.  She has presented on the subject of questioned estate documents to probate sections of county Bar Associations, as well as to fiduciaries, forensic nurses, licensed private investigators, public administrators, and other groups.   Ms. Fisher maintains a laboratory in San Ramon, California, to conduct nondestructive examinations of estate and other documents.

A Special Thanks to Our Event Sponsor:

Meredith Taylor, CLPF, MFT

Owner, IMT Associates

P: (510) 352-6000

mtaylor@imtassociates.com

A Special Thanks to Our Wine Sponsor:

 Daniel Quane, Esq.

Partner, Doyle Quane

P: (314-2335

dquane@doylequane.com

Meeting Agenda/Schedule

March 6, 2025

6:00pm - Check In, Networking & Reception

6:30pm - Sit Down Plated Dinner

6:45pm- Welcome & Announcements

7:00pm- Speaker Presentation

8:00pm- Event Concludes

REGISTRATION COST

Members - $95     |     Guests - $115

AFTER 3/4/2025

Members - $105     |     Guests - $125

The Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council is a multi-disciplinary group of estate planning and related professionals focused on delivering exceptional services to clients by providing and strengthening:

Cutting-edge continuing education to develop best practices in estate planning, wealth preservation and legacy; Communication and collaboration with peers across disciplines; A reliable network of referral sources with experienced, like-minded professionals